Page 110 - Bonhams Fine Japanese Art London November 2018

(Reproduction of the original museum inventory for this piece,
courtesy of The National Ethnological Museum of Leiden)

208
A LARGE AND UNUSUAL SILVER, SHIBUICH AND GILT Starting in the seventeenth century, Mount Fuji became popular as
OKIMONO OF A DRAGON ASCENDING MOUNT FUJI a scenic location close to the burgeoning city of Edo (present-day
Meiji era (1868-1912), late 19th century, circa 1890s Tokyo) and inspired the leading artists of the day both as a sacred,
Finely chiselled and wrought with details in shibuichi, silver, shakudo symbolic space and as a focus of national pride. The great painter
and gilt, the writhing three-clawed dragon modelled in relief, emerging Kano Tan’yu (1602-1674) pioneered the standard method for rendering
from in front of modulated wisps of cloud towards the snow-decked the mountain and this was taken up throughout the Edo period by later
tripartite peak, unsigned; resting on an elaborate, stepped removable masters such as Ogata Korin (1658-1716), Sakai Hoitsu (1761-1828),
en-suite wood stand embellished on the top surface with clouds and and Hoitsu’s leading pupil and successor Suzuki Kiitsu (1796-1858).
around the sides with gold-lacquer turbulent waves echoing the design One version by Kiitsu, in the Indianapolis Museum of Art, features a
of the wave-lashed Fuji. Mount Fuji: 38.5cm x 53cm (15 1/8in x 20 dragon ascending the side of the mountain with its tail in waves and its
7/8in); the wood stand: 34.5cm x 58.5cm x 31cm head in the clouds, as in this somewhat later metalwork version (see
(13½in x 23in x 12 1/8in). (2). McKelway, Matthew P. McKelway, Silver Wind: The Arts of Sakai Hoitsu
(1761-1828), Japan Society, New York, 2012, cat. no.51).
£30,000 - 50,000
JPY4,500,000 - 7,400,000
US$40,000 - 66,000

Provenance
Purchased by Museum Volkenkunde Leiden (The National Ethnological
Museum of Leiden), May 1896

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
108 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.