Page 164 - Christie's Asia Week March 2024 Chinese Art

Property from the collection of Okada Keisuke, The 31st Prime
Minister of Japan
Property from the collection of Okada Keisuke, ~ⱷ965
A SUPERB CELADON-GLAZED
st
The 31 Prime Minister of Japan BOTTLE VASE
YONGZHENG SIX-CHARACTER SEAL MARK
IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND OF THE PERIOD
(1723-1735)
日本ⓧ˕十ˏ任Շ閣✼理૯臣岡田啟介家族珍藏 12æ in. (32.5 cm.) high, fitted cedar box, hardwood
stand
$150,000-250,000
PROVENANCE:
Property from the collection of Okada Keisuke
(1868-1952), the former prime minister of Japan
and thence by descent within the family.
(another view with box)
A celadon-glazed vase of comparable size
and shape, Yongzheng mark and period, was
sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 8 October
2019, lot 3110. The refined shape can also be
found with a Guan-type glaze, as seen on a
smaller example (8 5/8 in.) from the Ken un
sho Collection, Japan, sold at Christie’s Hong
Kong, 27 May 2009, lot 1888. Such Guan-type
Yongzheng-period examples often have a
brown-dressed foot, and are thought to have
been inspired by Song-dynasty prototypes.

日本ⓧ˕十ˏ任首相岡田啟介家族珍藏
清雍正 粉青釉荸薺瓶 Ս字篆書款
Ϝ源
岡田啓介（1868 1952）珍藏，ע日本Շ閣✼理૯
臣，後於家族中流ҷ Fig 1. The present vase recorded
in Okada Keisuke’s notebook.
圖ˏ 本拍品曾〦錄於岡田啓
介ⅲ手札
The family of Okada Keisuke at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Nagatacho, Tokyo. Photographer unknown. Okada Keisuke (1868-1952) at his home in Tsunohazu,
岡田啓介及Ւ家́於Շ閣✼理૯臣官邸， 永田町，東̺，ε名攝影師 Shinjuku. Photographer unknown.
岡田啓介（ ）於家中，角筈（現新宿），東̺，
ε名攝影師

his superb vase was originally in the collection of Okada Keisuke the midst of an extremist political landscape. He served until resigning
(1868-1952), an esteemed navy officer who later assumed the role in 1936 just after the February 26 incident, an attempted coup d’etat
th
(mark)
Tof the 31st Prime Minister of Japan in 1934 amidst the rising organized by members of the Imperial Japanese Army.
influence of militarists and the looming threat of a coup d’état.
While Okada faced challenges in his career in confronting the
Born in Fukui city in 1868, Okada graduated from the Naval War overwhelming power of militarists, he was always known for his
College in 1901 and achieved the rank of Full Admiral in 1924. After strong resilience and democratic voice. Two years after the war’s end,
serving as the Commander in Chief of the combined fleet, he assumed Okada was granted permission to use a cane in court, a rare honor. In
the position of Minister of the Navy in the Tanaka Cabinet in 1927 and celebration of his eightieth birthday, Okada received a cane topped with
later served in the Saitō Cabinet in 1932. a silver pigeon.
Despite Okada’s initial reluctance to seek power, his sincere and The present vase is recorded in Okada’s notebook, which documented
diligent approach to duty garnered trust among the Japanese people. his receipt of this vase. (Fig. 1)
Unexpectedly nominated as Prime Minister in 1934, he found himself in

此粉青釉荸薺瓶為ע日本Շ閣✼理૯臣岡田啟介
舊藏ǐ岡田氏 治۳林ǐ 年，日本帝४陸㌻部ֱ成員主導ⅲ政ㅌỤ̣̈̀Ս̢件ǜ爆發，
原為ҧ受尊崇̃海㌻㌻官， 年在㌻४主義逐漸高漲͠及政ㅌ脅迫ⅲ情و 岡田氏隨即㏊去Շ閣✼理૯臣ˏ職ǐ
˗擔任日本ⓧ 任Շ閣✼理૯臣ǐ
岡田氏在Ւ職業生涯中ˏ直面臨對抗㌻४主義વп性力量ⅲ挑戰，但他始終
岡田氏於 年֨生於福̪市， 年畢業於海㌻૯學校，˩於 年榮 ͠Ւਘ強ⅲ韌性͠及對民主ⅲ發聲而聞名ị̌戰結束後Չ年，岡田氏獲օ得
升૯將ǐՒ後，他曾擔任海㌻聯合艦隊司令長，˩ֱ別於 年田中義ˏՇ 在朝中ϕ用權杖，為相₤➱見ⅲ榮ㅁ，˩於Ջ十૯壽時獲㈌ˏ支͠銀鴿杖首
閣✼理૯臣及 年齊藤實Շ閣✼理૯臣任ՇՆ閣，̣度֨任海㌻૯臣ǐ 裝飾ⅲ權杖ǐ

儘管岡田氏最׀無心追逐權力，他ⅲ͠ら待́及孜孜˙ёⅲئ力獲得̞日本́ 本拍品〦載於岡田氏ⅲ手札，˩〦錄̞此瓶ⅲ收據ǐ（圖ˏ）
民ⅲП任ǐ 年，他意外獲得Շ閣✼理૯臣提名，從此進Ն水深火熱ⅲ政

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