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Ader
166
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° Four-compartment inro decorated with three karako musician…
See original version (French)
166
-
° Four-compartment inro decorated with three karako musician…
See original version (French)
Estimate €3,000 - €4,000
Voluntary lot
Description
° Four-compartment inro decorated with three karako musicians and an armoured elephant, Japan, Meiji period, late 19th century
Made of lacquered wood with a kimpun background, comprising four compartments, decorated in takamaki-e and gold hiramaki-e, with inlays of mother-of-pearl, ivory, dyed ivory, tortoiseshell and coral using the Shibayama-zogan technique. One side is adorned with three karako dressed in richly decorated costumes: the figure on the right holds a large banner surmounted by a dragon, the one in the middle plays a trumpet, and the third, dancing in the foreground, beats a small drum with a stick. The clothing, hairstyles and accessories are embellished with floral and geometric motifs executed in maki-e, whilst the figures’ faces and hands are inlaid with ivory. The other side depicts a white elephant in profile, fully harnessed in a rich, polychrome caparison. The animal carries on its back a blanket adorned with various motifs, surmounted by a flower-shaped element, whilst rows of multicoloured beads and pendants hang on either side of the harness. The elephant is mainly carved from ivory, with elements of dyed ivory, mother-of-pearl, tortoiseshell, coral and lacquer. It is signed in a vertical mother-of-pearl cartouche: ‘Shibayama saku – ???’, accompanied by another signature in gold lacquer: ‘Saito saku – ???’. It is accompanied by an anabori-style ivory netsuke, in the shape of a cube with rounded edges, the base of which is engraved with floral motifs and each face of which is openwork with a design of pagodas and pavilions amidst pine trees.
9 x 5.5 cm; height of netsuke: 2.5 cm; gross weight: 56 g
Some wear and very minor chips.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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