Page 171 - Fine Chinese, Japanese and Buddhist Art September 28, 2018 Galerie Zacke

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A FINE AND ELABORATELY INLAID AND A FINE AND RARE
LACQUERED JAPANESE PANEL DEPICTING LACQUERED THIRTEEN
FROLICKING FROGS BY RYOSAI STRING KOTO, EDO
Japan, Edo period (1603 - 1868) – 19 century PERIOD
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Wood, lacquer, mother of pearl, ivory, silver, Japan, Edo period (1603
gold, copper and soapstone – 1868), around 1800 or
earlier
All set on a wood panel in the form of a slightly Wood, lacquer and bone
crumpled lotus leaf with a beautiful grain, is a
depiction reminiscent of the Choju-jinbutsu- A traditional Japanese
th
th
giga scrolls from the 12 -13 century. Three musical instrument
frolicking anthropomorphic frogs wearing lotus (Koto). The wood with
leaf skirts are inlaid in copper, silver and gold. a beautiful, unusually
Many bull rushes surrounded by leafy stalks and swirling grain. Thirteen
lilies are lacquered and inlaid in ivory or mother strings screwed up across
of pearl. Two natural holes in the corner cleverly five small, movable
used to imitate the partially rotting lotus leaf. bridges. The sides and
margins decorated in gold
Signed in a square soapstone reserve with seal hiramaki-e with scrolling
signature RYOSAI 列㔶ĭ who must have been vines and flowers. The
an artist with a multitude of skills as the panel ends inlaid, the lower with
would have required a high level of skill in geometrical designs in
metalwork, lacquer, inlays and carving. bone and precious stones,
the upper with inlays and
Shape: Lobed panel in the form of a lotus leaf a golden hiramaki-e bird.
Dimensions: 63 x 43.5 cm
Condition: Good condition with only very minor The ancestor of the koto
wear to lacquer was the Chinese guzheng,
Provenance: Austrian private collection the parent instrument of
the Asian zither family,
EstimateġEUR 1.000,- which spread from China
Starting price EUR 500,- to a number of adjacent
countries, also giving birth
to the Japanese Koto, first
introduced to Japan in the
7th and 8th century. The
169 original known version of
A RARE GOLD AND BLACK LAQUER JIKIRO the Koto had five strings,
(CEREMONIAL FOOD CONTAINER) eventually increasing to
Japan, Edo period (1603 - 1868) seven and even more
Lacquered wood strings. The present
170 instrument is therefore
The exterior lacquered in matt black and A RARE LACQUERED TSUBA WITH FULL MOON AND one of the later improved
elegantly decorated in gold hiramaki-e with GEESE BY YAMADA TSUNEYOSHI versions, with thirteen
scrolling vines and flowers. The interior Japan, Edo period (1603 - 1868) instead of five strings.
lacquered in red. Large food containers like this Lacquered wood
were presented at important ceremonies or Shape: Thirteen-chord
weddings and would have contained sweets or The edge of this tsuba in mokkogata (lobed form) is slightly instrument
other delicacies raised. The images in takamaki-e with sublime relief on both Dimensions: 48 cm
sides are set against a black-brown seido-nuri background (length)
Shape: Large ovoid container with lid and and show a body of water with reeds, low-hanging clouds, Condition: Signs of age
raised on a high pedestal foot the dark, silver full moon and birds in flight. One the side with minor chips and
Dimensions: 26 cm (height with lid), 36.5 cm featuring the artist’s signature are two geese on the shore as losses, the base with
(diameter) well as two flying upwards. Even the smallest details are very wear, scratches and a
Condition: Small chips along the borders and finely worked; impressive accents in golden kinzogan; the small break – overall
surface, one chip in the interior, subtle scratches idyllic nature of the scene is expressively poetic. The signature still very good condition
and a crack on the interior red lacquer reads YAMA-DA Ⱉ 䓘 TSUNE-YOSHI ⷗ ▱ with a kao. This Provenance: Austrian
Provenance: From an old Austrian private 19th-century lacquer artist is also known by the name SHO- private collection
collection acquired before 1930 - with old KOSAI.
collection numbers at the base Literature: Hugo’s window
Shape: Lacquered mokkogata tsuba on the world of Chinese
Auction result comparison: For a similar jikiro Dimensions: 8.2 cm (height) zheng. Chime. Leiden:
with a different design see Bonhams, Fine Condition: Good condition with very minor nicks to the ed- European Foundation for
Japanese and Korean Art, 12 September 2012, ges, restored to invisibility Chinese Music Research.
lot 3323. Provenance: German private collection 16–17: 242. 2005.
EstimateġEUR 400,- EstimateġEUR 400,- EstimateġEUR 600,-
Starting price EUR 200,- Starting price EUR 200,- Starting price EUR 400,-

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