Page 202 - Fine Japanese Art March 27, 2020 Galerie Zacke Netsuke and Okimono

RARE MATERIALS, SEALS & LACQUER NETSUKE

225 | A SUPERB HIRADO PORCELAIN
NETSUKE OF A NASUBI (EGGPLANT)
223 | TEIJI (ATTR.): A RARE CERAMIC 224 | MIURA KEN’YA: A VERY RARE CERAMIC Unsigned
NETSUKE OF TAKOTSUBO NETSUKE OF A BAKEMONO BOX Japan, Hirado, mid-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Attributed to Teiji, unsigned By Miura Ken‘ya (1825 – 1889), signed Kenzan Published: Atchley, Virginia / Davey, Neil (2006) The Virginia Atchley
Japan, Nagoya, mid-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Japan, second half of 19th century Collection of Japanese Miniature Arts, p. 177, no. N249.
Journal of the International Netsuke Collectors Society, Vol. 3, no. 2,
September 1975, p. 19, fig.20.
A fine and rare ceramic netsuke, coated in a layer of thin red A rare glazed ceramic netsuke depicting a wicker basket Exhibited: Honolulu, 1975.
lacquer, and depicting an octopus trapped inside a pot, also containing a group of bakemono bursting through various torn
known as takotsubo. The inlaid grimacing octopus has emerged holes. This includes a long-necked cycloptic creature, a ghost
from the trap, bursting through the pot, two tentacles pressed with eerily long arms and a karasu tengu. One interesting detail The nasubi (eggplant) is covered in a sublime, beautifully polished
against the side of the pot, in an effort to escape. The ceramic is the green-glazed rope which turns out to be a snake coiling white hirado-glaze, with two crumpled leaves in hirado-blue and
inlay is a creamy white with fine craquelure. Another inlaid around the arm of the ghost. The underside with himotoshi and the calyx in a coarse grey biscuit glaze. Very good, asymmetrical
tentacle is shown emerging from the mouth of the pot, and fine signature KENZAN 乾, however most likely by Miura Ken’ya who himotoshi to the reverse.
barnacles are inlaid on the sides of the tsubo. A section of the was known to sign Kenzan at times.
red lacquer has been purposely removed and glazed green, HEIGHT 5.5 cm
showing fine craquelure, to imitate the oxidation of the metal HEIGHT 3.8 cm, LENGTH 3.4 cm
tsubo. One central himotoshi and the other ‘natural’ through the Condition: Excellent condition, one tiny firing fault near the base.
opening of the pot. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear to glaze. Provenance: Collection Virginia Atchley purchased from Douglas J.K.
Provenance: New York private collection. Wright, then collection John and Donnie Hawley.
HEIGHT 3.6 cm
Literature comparison: Compare to two ‘goblin boxes’ in Probably one of the finest porcelain netsuke ever recorded,
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear to lacquer coating. Sagemonoya (2004) Ninety-nine Netsuke & One Inro, p. 35, nos. beloved by the late Virginia Atchley.
Provenance: French private collection. 47-48.
Estimate EUR 3.000,-
The takotsubo is an old Japanese design used to catch octopi. Estimate EUR 2.000,- Starting price EUR 1.500,-
Teiji, pupil of Seiji, was originally a potter and made unique Starting price EUR 1.000,-
netsuke with ceramic inlays. It is evident from the quality of the
ceramic inlay in this netsuke that only a highly trained ceramicist
could achieve this, and Teiji was known to execute this design.
Estimate EUR 2.000,-
Starting price EUR 1.000,-

198 199