Page 43 - Bonhams November 4 2021 Japanese art London

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TANABE CHIKUUNSAI I (1877–1937)
Taisho (1912-1826) or Showa (1926-1989) era,
circa 1920-1930
‘Twin Moons’ fruit basket, timber bamboo,
partially peeled on one side, rattan; asanoha
hexagonal plaiting; wrapping; knotting;
signed on the base Chikuunsai kore o tsukuru
(Chikuunsai made this); with a wood tomobako
storage box titled and signed Sogetsu
kudamonokago Chikuunsai kore o tsukuru
(Twin Moons Fruit Basket; Chikuunsai made
this). 29.2cm (11½in) high. (2).
£3,000 - 5,000
JPY450,000 - 760,000
US$4,100 - 6,800

This type of fruit basket seems to have become
fashionable in the early Showa era after an
example by Sakaguchi Sounsai (1899-1967), a
leading pupil of Chikuunsai I, became one of the
very first pieces of bamboo art to be accepted
for the Teiten national exhibition, in 1929 (now
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York). For an
example by Maeda Chikubosai I (1872-1950),
see Erik Thomsen Gallery, Masterpieces of
Japanese Bamboo Art, New York, 2017,
cat.no.7.
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WADA WAICHISAI II (1877–1933)
Taisho (1912-1926) or Showa (1926-1989) era,
circa 1915–1930
‘Maple Leaves’, an unusual rattan flower
basket, white rattan and standard rattan; mat
plaiting, wrapping; facetted and lacquered
bamboo otoshi (water holder); with a wood
tomobako storage box titled, inscribed, and
signed Kaede kago hanaire; kore senko
no sakuhin nari, kibo shoka no hi kanpitsu
Nishisetsu fu-u joshi Sansei Waichisai (This
is a genuine work of my father [Waichisai II],
examined in September 1939 in the moody
wind and rain of western Settsu [southeast
Hyogo Prefecture]); seal: Waichisai; labelled
Waichisai saku hakutogumi kago hana-ike
(Basket-shaped flower container plaited from
white rattan, by Waichisai).
26cm (10¼in) high. (3).

£500 - 600
JPY76,000 - 91,000
US$680 - 820

For another basket by Waichisai II with a
similarly unusual attestation by Waichisai III,
see Stéphane Martin ed., Fendre L’Air: Art
of Bamboo in Japan, Paris, Musée du Quai
Branly-Jacques Chirac, 2018, p. 68.

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For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue. JAPANESE ART | 41