Page 25 - Fine Japanese Art November 29, 2019 Galerie Zacke

14 | A FINE LARGE CAPARISONED
ELEPHANT BRONZE KORO
Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912)

The pachyderm stands on its four feet with the head turned to its Condition: Excellent condition with some wear and tiny scratches.
left, exotically caparisoned with a saddle finely incised with Ho-o The original ivory tusks are still in place. It is rare to find a bronze
birds (Japanese phoenix) and jeweled swags, the tusks inlaid in which consists of five separate pieces to be still absolutely original
ivory. The elephant carries a globular vessel serving as the koro and complete!
(incense burner), partially covered by a modeled cloth secured Provenance: From an English private estate.
with a tasseled cord, the domed cover surmounted by a handle
in the form of a rat sitting on Daikoku’s mallet. The cloth with Estimate EUR 2.500,-
circumferential leafy bands of family crests in shallow relief. Starting price EUR 1.250,-
HEIGHT 30.3 cm
WEIGHT 4 kilograms

13 | HIROMITSU: A RARE BRONZE OF KINTARO The legends agree that even as a toddler, Kintaro was active and
SUMO WRESTLING WITH A BEAR indefatigable, plump and ruddy, wearing only a bib with the kanji for
“gold” on it. His friends were mainly the animals of Mounts Kintoki
By Hiromitsu, signed Hiromitsu saku and Ashigara. He was also phenomenally strong, able to smash rocks
Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912) into pieces, uproot trees, and bend trunks like twigs. Several tales tell
of Kintaro’s adventures, fighting monsters and oni, beating bears in
sumo wrestling, and helping the local woodcutters fell trees.
A rare two-color bronze statue of Kintaro, the legendary child
folklore hero, here in a sumo match with a huge bear. Kintaro wears Estimate EUR 3.000,-
a loin cloth as he exhibits an Ottsuke (arm clamp-down) with bent Starting price EUR 1.500,-
elbows, thrusting up into his opponent’s armpit, thus blocking the
huge animals attack and stopping it from effectively using his arms.
Kintaro is highlighted in a copper-brown patina while the bear is
dark brown, almost black, with neatly incised detail to its fur. The
artist signature is on the boy’s cloth, the kanji characters reading
HIROMITSU saku.
SIZE 29 x 26.5 cm
WEIGHT 8.8 kilograms
Condition: Superb condition with only minor wear and traces of
use.
Provenance: From an English collector.

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