JAPANESE WORKS OF ART

19th May 2020

THE ENDURING MEMENTOES OF AN EPHEMERAL SPRING This pair of bronze vases (above) are a magnificent example of the work produced by the studio of Inoue of Kyoto in the late 19th century. Gold and silver inlays create a composition where men are dwarfed by the majestic mountainous landscape. The figures are depicted at leisure under sakura, the iconic cherry blossoms of Japan, the silver petals glistening like hundreds of jewels on the dark bronze ground. The viewing of sakura flowers (hanami) is a famous tradition which resonates with the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, the celebration and acceptance of transience and imperfection. The scenes depicted here pay

20 | WOOLLEY & WALLIS tribute to this idea, the fragility of the petals cleverly mirrored by the precious material. The flower in a rhomboid cell featured in the background is the mon family crest for the Yonekura clan and these impressive vases were probably produced as a one-off special commission for the family.

1. A very large Satsuma vase with figures in a mountainous landscape, signed Ryozan, 19th century, 30cm. Provenance: the collection of Stan & Winefried Gerrans, South Africa, and thence by descent. Estimate: £10,000 – 15,000

3. Head of Department, Alexandra Aguilar, with the 25 metre long hand-scroll painting depicting the Imperial procession of Go-Mizunoo and his court to Nijo Castle in 1626. Estimate: £4,000 – 6,000

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The large Satsuma vase by Ryozan (fig. 1) offers a different vision of hanami. Here the artist doesn’t illustrate the ephemerality of sakura, but the hustle and bustle of a busy road under the flowering trees. The elaborate composition depicts the crowded shores of the river Abe, the 19th station on the Tokaido road, the main artery of Japan that connected Edo (Tokyo) to Kyoto. Children are playing blindfold games, couples enjoy a picnic under the cherry blossoms, and travellers disembark from narrow boats in a riot of details in gilt and polychrome, with Mount Fuji towering above them. Ryozan was the main decorator for the Yasuda Satsuma factory, and this is a telling example of his talent. This vase of large proportions (it is 30cm high and weighs more than 4.2kg) was once flown into the UK in the cockpit of a Boeing 747 when the owner’s son, a commercial pilot, realised it was too large – and too fragile – for the cabin’s overhead lockers. It is one of the highlights of a large selection of Satsuma pieces from private collections, with examples by Kinkozan, Ryozan and Nakamura Baikei which will be offered in this sale.

JAPANESE ART, EDWARD C. MOORE AND TIFFANY Another highlight of the sale is this elegant lacquer box (fig. 2) formerly in the collection of Edward C. Moore (1827-1891). Featuring a design of butterflies fluttering on a background of multicoloured stripes, it tells the story of its original owner’s fascination with Japanese art. Edward C. Moore was Tiffany & Co.’s artistic director and a keen collector, from early Islamic Art to Song Dynasty Chinese ceramics and Japanese netsuke. His interest for Japanese art was triggered by pieces sent by Christopher Dresser to Louis Comfort Tiffany as a study collection. Many of the artworks he produced emulate Japanese aesthetics, and the particular pattern of butterflies appears on several of his designs. His vast collection is housed at the Met in New York, including another Japanese lacquer box with a butterfly design. A special exhibition will take place later this year, putting into perspective Asian artworks from his collection and his Tiffany pieces, thus demonstrating the strong influence of Japanese aesthetics on his iconic American designs.

The sale will feature many more treasures, including a pair of impressive Imari vases from the Rothschild Collection (featured on this Sale News cover) and a large selection of netsuke from the collection of a titled lady and thence by descent. This 25 metre long hand-scroll painting (fig. 3) with the procession of Emperor Go-Mizunoo to Nijo Castle in 1626 is another stunning piece with hundreds of portraits where no two faces are the same.