NAKAJIMA YASUMI I: AN IMPERIAL-COMMISSIONED ARCHAISTIC SEIDO BRONZE VESSEL

拍品描述

NAKAJIMA YASUMI I: AN IMPERIAL-COMMISSIONED ARCHAISTIC SEIDO BRONZE VESSEL By Nakajima Yasumi I (1877-1952), signed Yasumi Japan, dated 1924, Taisho period (1912-1926) Of Chinese inspiration, in the form of an ancient ritual wine vessel (zun), with a broad hemispherical body supported on a flaring foot, with steeply angled shoulders rising to a straight neck and an everted mouth. The surface covered overall with a rich, dark reddish patina, enlivened by irregular patches of verdigris intended to recall a late Shang dynasty bronze, and decorated with encircling bands in high relief of overlapping scrollwork interspersed with Shang-style motifs, while the shoulders are fitted with two cast handles in the form of stylized birds. The base incised with a lengthy inscription in seal (tensho) script. Inscriptions: To the underside, Kore Taisho ju-san nen ichi-gatsu nijuroku-nichi Togu-denka gokongi [...] saku sono biju man-nen eiho-yo, sokai Yasumi [Made to commemorate the marriage of the prince (Hirohito, Emperor Showa) on January 26th, Taisho 13 (1924), by Yasumi]. HEIGHT 22.9 cm, DIAMETER 16.6 cm With the original stand and wood storage box (tomobako), signed and sealed by the artist. The underside of the cover bearing the same inscription as that on the base of the vessel. Nakajima Yasumi I (1877–1952), born Nakajima Toyoji, was a Japanese metal artist based in Osaka and the founding figure of a distinguished lineage of craftsmen spanning three generations. Working within the tradition of richly colored purple-red bronze (seido) characteristic of Osaka metalwork, he contributed significantly to the refinement and continuation of this technique in the Meiji period. A skilled artisan and teacher, he was also a founder of the Osaka Craft Group, playing an active role in the organization and professionalization of craft production in the region. His older son, Nakajima Yasumi II (1905–1986), born Nakajima Mitsuo, was likewise an accomplished bronzeworker whose practice reflected a more modern formal vocabulary, characterized by a progressive abstraction of form, with an emphasis on restrained geometry and a reduced reliance on naturalistic or representational motifs. The present vase is an outstanding example of traditional, vividly patinated seido bronze, due to its special commission. If, as the inscription suggests, it was intended as a gift for the Emperor, this would further indicate that Emperor Showa had an appreciation for archaic Chinese bronzes, an interest that was also characteristic of the cultivated taste prevalent among affluent Japanese households of the period. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related seido bronze vase, decorated with an encircling band of stylized dragons, by Nakajima Yasumi I, Showa period, c. 1930, 30.2 cm high, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese and Korean Art Works of Art, New York, 22 March 2023, lot 914 (mid-estimate at USD 4,000 or approx. EUR 3,700 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).

图片