Page 70 - Fine Japanese Art March 27, 2020 Galerie Zacke Netsuke and Okimono

63 | OHARA MITSUHIRO: A FINE IVORY 64 | OHARA MITSUHIRO: A FINE IVORY
NETSUKE OF A DRAGONFLY ON ROOFTILE NETSUKE OF A BAT ON ROOFTILE

By Ohara Mitsuhiro (1810-1875), signed Mitsuhiro School of Ohara Mitsuhiro, signed Mitsuhiro
Japan, Osaka, mid-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Japan, Osaka, mid-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

A finely carved and stained ivory netsuke depicting a minutely Depicting a bat atop a damaged rooftile, the entire surface worked
carved dragonfly atop a rooftile. The front of the tile shows the in ishime and stained in sumi for effect. The front of the tile shows
typical stippled ishime ground of Mitsuhiro with a finely carved finely engraved characters reading 東大寺 大佛陀 (Todaiji Daibutsu-
mitsudomo-e symbol surrounded by circles carved in low relief. da), within circular reserves translating to ‘the great Buddha of the
The dragonfly’s wings as well are finely stippled. The underside Todaiji temple’. The underside left plain, finely stained, with a loop
with a loop for cord attachment and the finely incised signature for the cord attachment and incised signature MITSUHIRO 光廣.
MITSUHIRO 光廣.
LENGTH 4 cm
LENGTH 5 cm
Condition: Excellent condition.
The dragonfly is very much in the manner of the one found on the Provenance: British collection.
back of Mitsuhiro’s famous design ‘Puppy with dragonfly’, a design
listed in the historical document by Mitsuhiro titled ‘Takarabukuro’. The subject matter is an auspicious symbol which signifies
“Good fortune comes from heaven”. In Chinese, the bat 蝠 is a
Condition: Minor expected wear to staining. Very good condition. homophone for the word happiness 福.
Provenance: Ancient collection Charles Cartier-Bresson (1853-1921)
collection no. 321. Charles Cartier-Bresson was a textile industrialist Literature comparison: See a very similar example in
and art collector specializing particularly in works from Japan. He is Meinertzhagen, Frederick / Lazarnick, George (1986) MCI, Part A,
the great uncle of famous photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. page 542.
Estimate EUR 4.000,- Portrait of Charles Cartier-Bresson by Jean-Matthias Schiff Estimate EUR 2.000,-
Starting price EUR 2.000,- in the Museum of Fine Arts Nancy Starting price EUR 1.000,-

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