KANIYA KUNIHARU: A LARGE PATINATED BRONZE TOKYO SCHOOL OKIMONO OF A BIJIN PREPARING A PAPER LANTERN

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KANIYA KUNIHARU: A LARGE PATINATED BRONZE TOKYO SCHOOL OKIMONO OF A BIJIN PREPARING A PAPER LANTERN By Kaniya Kuniharu (1852-1934), signed Kaniya Kuniharu saku Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912) Finely cast, the bijin (beauty) kneeling gracefully upon an oval base as she prepares a collapsible paper lantern resting on the ground before her, its circular frame, closely spaced ribs, and central aperture rendered in meticulous detail. She holds a small implement or length of material between her hands, her attention absorbed in the delicate task. Her voluminous robes cross the torso and fall over the arms and folded legs in soft, naturalistic folds, gathering around her bare feet. Her head is gently inclined and turned to one side, lending the composition a quiet sense of movement and concentration. The finely modeled face is serene, with almond-shaped eyes, a slender nose, and full lips forming a subtle smile. Her hair is carefully arranged in a traditional coiffure, the deeply incised strands gathered into an elaborate knot. Signed KANIYA KUNIHARU saku [made by Kaniya Kuniharu]. WEIGHT 9.9 kg HEIGHT 39.8 cm Kaniya Kuniharu (1852–1934) was a prominent bronze artist of the Meiji period, trained under Takamura Koun and Otake Norikuni, both central figures in the development of modern Japanese sculpture. In 1907, he co-founded the Tokyo Chukin Kai (Tokyo Cast Metal Association) with Oshima Joun and exhibited his works at major national and international exhibitions, including the Paris Exposition of 1900. The ambitious scale, naturalistic modeling, and meticulous finish of his bronzes reflect the high standards of Tokyo metalwork produced for international exhibitions and Western collectors around the turn of the twentieth century. Auction comparison: Compare a related Tokyo school bronze figure of a labourer, by Kaniya Kuniharu, Meiji period, late 19th to early 20th century, 49.5 cm high, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, London, 6 November 2012, lot 524 (mid-estimate at GBP 3,500 or approx. EUR 6,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).

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