Page 83 - Bonhams September 11 2018 New York Japanese & Korean Works of Art

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HONDA SHORYU (SYORYU, BORN 1951)
A Bamboo Sculpture
Heisei era (1989-), early 20th century
Of stained and finely split madake and rattan,
worked in twining technique (see below),
signed Shoryu
14in (35.4cm) wide

$3,000 - 4,000
Honda Shoryu (also spelled Syoryu) has
virtually abandoned traditional ideas about
1173 the function of basketry acquired during his
early training, choosing instead to create
dramatic curvilinear sculptures from fine
stained bamboo strips woven in nawame
(twining) technique. Once a few rows of
twining have been completed, he leaves the
verticals exposed for several inches at both
ends, uses hot water to soften the entire
piece, and then kneads it into shape, pulling
up some of the rows to form the gaps seen
in the finished work. The free ends of the
verticals are then plaited and secured with a
binding of rattan.
1174
NAGAKURA KEN’ICHI (1952-2018)
A Hanging Bamboo Flower Basket
Showa era (1926-1989), circa 1985
Of madake bamboo, the container formed
from a single stem of bamboo split into
multiple strands leaving only a small part
uncut, the strands woven with split bamboo
in mat plaiting, the basket framed by an
expressive free-form composition of bamboo
stems, with a faceted lacquered bamboo
otoshi (water container), signed on a
lacquered bamboo plaque Chikurakuten
With lacquered paper storage box with
a paper label inscribed and signed Kago
hanaire Issen chikko Nagakura Ken’ichi
(“The Splendor of Bamboo in a Single
Strand” bamboo basket flower container by
Nagakura Ken’ichi) and sealed Chikurakuten,
with a production number 1/0 0437
25 3/4in (65.3cm) long

$1,500 - 2,000
The first recipient of the Cotsen Bamboo
Prize in 2000, Nagakura Ken’ichi (who
died earlier this year) studied under his
grandfather but was mostly self-taught,
drawing on a wide range of sources for his
creative inspiration, from European sculpture
through American pop art to traditional
Japanese forms. On grounds of the style of
both the basket and the handwritten label,
as well as the use of the name Chikurakuten,
the present lot can be assigned to the early
years of Nagakura’s career.

1174

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