Gilded cast bronze ewe Sawasa China 17th century

The ewer is made up of 5 parts in lost-wax cast bronze that are assembled by welding and rivets. The very elegant shape is inspired by the Islamic ewers of medieval Persia. The walls are thick and the ewer is heavy. A Buddhist lion tops the lid which is held to the ewer by the original chain. On the sides, in reserves, other lions are represented among rocks and plants, all these decorations are cast in high relief and are finely chiseled. The mercury gilding is thick and required several passages in the oven, this quality has allowed it to be very little worn. There are several similar ewers but rarely of this quality and in this condition. Some specialists believe that the bronzes of this style called Sawasa were created in China, other scholars attribute them to Japan; in fact it seems that they were made during the 17th and 18th centuries in both countries. However those made in Japan were made for export to China. That is why we find very few in Japan.
Good condition, the handle is re-soldered with tin, original gilding, no repairs. Height: 30cm
An identical model announced China, Ming, 17th century but of inferior quality, smaller and with worn gilding was sold a few years ago in New York by Sotheby's. I will give the references if requested.