Page 6 - THE ARNO ZIESNITZ COLLECTION

THE ARNO ZIESNITZ COLLECTION OF
SMOKING ACCESSORIES

Arno Ziesnitz was born in Berlin, Germany and He lectured on the subject of smoking accessories
immigrated to the United States in 1950. After to the members of the International Netsuke Society
serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict, and argued that these pieces should be considered
Arno attended and graduated from San Jose State an important part of the netsuke field. His passion
University with a degree in Criminology. Shortly after for the items is on exhibit here. The variations in
his graduation he joined the United States government subject matter, material, and execution were to Arno,
as a Special Agent and consequently spent the bulk a matter of great interest and his tireless study and
of his career attached to consulates and embassies in willingness to elucidate on the subject always led to
Frankfurt, Hong Kong and Japan, as well as domestic lively discussions. His scholarship and enthusiasm will
offices in San Francisco and Washington, DC. He be missed.
became enamored of Japanese art in the early 1960s
and started collecting netsuke at auctions in Europe Tobacco arrived in Japan sometime in the 16th
and the United States. When he met his wife Sharon in century with Portuguese sailors. Within decades
Hong Kong, their shared love of things Japanese soon of its introduction, smoking had caught on with
became apparent and they both widened their interests fringe members of society. Kabukimono, gangs of
from netsuke to include other fields of Japanese art. disenfranchised members of the samurai class,
In particular, Arno’s interest focused on the smoking adopted tobacco use as part of their image. Smoking
paraphernalia that was used in Japan prior to the became so wide spread, and so closely associated
arrival of modern Western influences, which rendered with the image of wild youth, that government officials
many of these objects obsolete. Pipes, sagemono, passed edicts restricting the use of the substance.
(tonkotsu, kiseruzutsu) and the manner and customs Despite repeated efforts to control it, the use of
of their usages were fascinating to Arno and he was tobacco spread and related artifacts, such as the
always happy when he could introduce these items and pieces on offer in this collection became not only
the customs associated with them to a fellow collector. necessities for the smoker but items of luxury.

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