Page 75 - Christies Japanese and Korean Art Sept 22 2020 NYC

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A SOFT-METAL-INLAID ARTICULATED SCULPTURE OF A The dragonfly, cicada, butterfly, praying mantis, beetle and
BUTTERFLY grasshopper are popular themes of jizai sculpture, often made of
21ST CENTURY, SIGNED MASAHIRO (KAMIYAMA MASAHIRO; B. 1955) different types of metal. The earliest dated example of an articulated
insect is the 1753 iron butterfly by Myochin Muneyasu in the
The gold and shakudo butterfly constructed of numerous hammered
parts jointed together with movable wings and shakudo limbs, the Okura Shukokan Museum of Fine Arts, Tokyo. It demonstrates a
details finely inlaid in gold, silver, shibuichi, shakudo and copper, pure and rather simplified beauty compared to the more elaborate
signature on a gold tablet applied on the body and realistic style of those made in later periods.
5¡ in. (13.7 cm.) wide
With double wood box, titled Nagasaki agehacho (Swallowtail
butterfly), signed Masahiro kinsei, sealed Masahiro

$30,000-40,000