Page 11 - September 21 2021 Important Japanese Art Christie's NYC

PROPERTY FROM A PRINCELY COLLECTION
4 AN IRON ARTICULATED SCULPTURE OF A
LOBSTER

EDO PERIOD (18TH-19TH CENTURY), SIGNED MYO AND SHIGE
The iron lobster constructed of numerous
hammered plates jointed inside the body, the
body bends and the eyes, antennae, limbs, fins
and legs move, the details finely carved and
chiseled, signature on underside of body
Body 6√ in. (17.5 cm.) long

$20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:
Malcom Fairley, London

Two characters on this work, “Myo” and “Shige” may be the
signature of the artist, Myochin Muneshige who is known for
his iron articulated shrimps.
The spiny shell of this lobster is very intricate and it requires
extraordinary effort and technique to create such magnificent
details from a sheet of iron. For a similar iron lobster made by
Myochin Munekiyo, see Harada Kazutoshi, ed., Jizai okimono
/ Articulated Iron Figures of animals, Rokusho 11, special edition
(2010), pl. 22.