Page 178 - Japanese Art Nov 9 2017 London

(295 - another side)
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.
294 Y Ф
A PAIR OF GOLD-LACQUER, SILVER, CLOISONNÉ-ENAMEL
AND INLAID SHIBAYAMA VASES
The Shibayama work by Masatomo and Masayuki made for the
Nagamasa Company, Meiji era (1868-1912), late 19th century
Each vase forming a complementary design, the silver body inset with
five lobed gold-lacquer panels edged in silver each depicting a different
bird among seasonal plants and flowers, executed in Shibayama-style
encrustations, one vase signed on one gold-lacquer panel within a
shell reserve Masayuki, the other signed Masatomo, the five corners
of the shoulder of each vase applied with five silver elephant heads
suspended with loose ring handles, the shoulder, neck and elaborate
splayed foot of each vase embellished with formal floral motifs in
coloured enamel, signed on the base of each vase Nagamasa within
a silver rectangular reserve.
Each vase approx. 30cm (11¾in) high. (2).
£15,000 - 20,000
JPY2,200,000 - 3,000,000
US$20,000 - 26,000
Illustrated on page 175.
295 Y Ф
A MAGNIFICENT PAIR OF GOLD-LACQUER AND INLAID
SHIBAYAMA VASES WITH EN-SUITE STANDS
By Shibayama Yasumasa, Meiji era (1868–1912), late 19th century
Each of octagonal form with four wider sides alternating with four
narrower sides, the gold kinji ground lavishly decorated with the full
range of Shibayama techniques including inlay of shell, ivory, red
lacquer, shakudo and shibuichi; gold, aokin and silver hiramaki-e and
togidashi maki-e; gold e-nashiji and Gyobu nashiji; and translucent
cloisonné enamels; the narrower sides with formal ornament in
togidashi maki-e, the wider sides each decorated with two partial-
tsuba-shaped cartouches against a background of scattered cherry
blossom, the tsuba shapes depicting a rich variety of bird-and-flower
designs and figure subjects including Kintoki the Mountain Boy and
Seiobo (the Queen Mother of the West); Shoki and demons; Enma-O
(Judge of Hell) and a courtesan; Choryo offering a shoe to Kosekiko;
Shizuka Gozen; and Tekkai Sennin and Gama Sennin, eight of them
bearing the signatures of sword-fitting artists: (Hirata) Donin 道仁,
(Hirata) Harunari 春就, (Hirata) Narihisa 就久, (Hirata) Nariyuki 就行,
Iwamoto Konkan 岩本昆寛, (Omori) Teruhide 英秀, Suga Nagaatsu
菅長厚 and (Tsuchiya) Yasuchika 安親, the necks each with four
floral medallions in translucent cloisonné enamels, the rims finished
in shibuichi engraved with keyfret, each with four elephant-mask
shibuichi feet with gold- and shakudo- inlaid eyes, each signed on the
base in seal-style characters on red-lacquer plaques, one Shibayama
芝山 and the other Yasumasa 易政, with the original carved openwork
hardwood and ivory stands.
Each vase 24.8cm (9¾in) high without stand,
28cm (11in) high with stand (4).
£20,000 - 30,000
JPY3,000,000 - 4,400,000
US$26,000 - 40,000
Provenance
An English private collection, purchased by the current owner’s great-
grandfather in the 1930s in London, and thence by descent.
Shibayama Yasumasa (also read Ekisei) won prizes at the second and
third Naikoku Kangyo Hakurankai (National Industrial Exhibitions) in
1881 and 1890 (see Tadaomi Goke, Julia Hutt and E. A. Wrangham,
Meiji no Takara, Treasures of Imperial Japan: Lacquer, London, Kibo
Foundation, 1995, Part 1, p.32 and Part 2, cat. nos.160,167). Four of
the signatures inscribed on the tsuba shapes belong to members of
the Hirata school, best known for their work in enamel.