Page 66 - Bonhams May 16, 2019 London Japanese Art

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A WOOD SEATED FIGURE OF MIROKU BOSATSU (MAITREYA) A RARE CYPRESS-WOOD OKIMONO OF A HAWK
Probably Edo period (1615-1868), 18th/19th century By Tsuramitsu, Iwami Province, Edo period (1615-1868), dated 1823
Carved from a block of antique timber (see below), the bodhisattva Perched on an integral tree trunk, its head turned back and its eyes
of the future shown in the hanka (half-seated) meditation posture, inlaid, the ancient tree trunk naturalistically rendered and carved in low
the right elbow resting on the right knee, the fingers of the right hand relief with trailing foliage; signed and dated Sekiyo no junin Tsuramitsu
touching the right cheek, the left hand resting on the left foot, the neck saku toki ni Bunsei roku mizunoto-hitsuji toshi kugatsu-bi (carved in the
and arm ornaments gilt metal; with a separate carved dais. ninth month of 1823 by Tsuramitsu, living in Iwami Province)
Overall height: 32.5cm (12¾in). with a kao. 28.5cm (11¼in) high.
£3,000 - 5,000 £1,800 - 2,000
JPY440,000 - 730,000 JPY260,000 - 290,000
US$3,900 - 6,500 US$2,400 - 2,600

Provenance Often referred to by his probable nickname Kanman, Tsuramitsu
A Belgian private collection, purchased by the industrialist (1793-1859) was born in the town of Ota, to the north-east of the
and philantropist, Baron Jean de Brouwer (1872-1951), the Enokawa River. He produced many netsuke in Iwami style, as well
great-grandfather of the current owner. as a number of okimono, tonkotsu and inro.

Clearly inspired by celebrated larger early-seventh-century sculptures
of likely Korean origin such as the akamatsu (red pine) seated Miroku For a fine selection of netsuke by Tsuramitsu (catalogued as by
in the Koryuji Temple (Kyoto) or, for the Northern Wei/Asuka-style Kanman), see our accompanying sale of Iwami nestuke from the
treatment of the robes around the base, the bronze Tori triad in the Robert S. Huthart Collection, 15 May 2019.
Horyuji Temple (near Nara), this small-scale figure was carved from
a block of wood dated by radiocarbon test to the sixteenth or early
seventeenth century (RDC Lockinge, RCD-9199).

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
64 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.