KAN: A SUPERB INLAID LACQUER ‘SAGEMONO SET’ SUZURIBAKO (WRITING BOX)

拍品描述

KAN: A SUPERB INLAID LACQUER ‘SAGEMONO SET’ SUZURIBAKO (WRITING BOX) By Mochizuki Hanzan (Haritsu II,1743-1790), sealed Kan Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Of upright rectangular form with gently rounded edges, the exterior is finished in a rich reddish-brown lacquer with a finely ribbed texture. The cover is intricately inlaid with a harmonious combination of materials including ceramic, jadeite, soapstone, and glass, depicting two elegant sagemono ensembles. The composition features two inro rendered in relief: one of three cases decorated with a caparisoned elephant tethered to a pole, executed in the typical Ritsuo manner; the other formed as a gunbai fan, executed in tsuishu lacquer with scrolling clouds and a central soapstone medallion carved with a rain dragon. Both ojime are of glass, and the netsuke attached to the tsushi inro is carved as a closed scroll with aogai highlights. The interior is finished in lightly sprinkled roiro and fitted with compartments for writing implements. Signed to the lower left of the cover with a red seal KAN – this type of red seal is associated with Mochizuki Hanzan. SIZE 3.5 x 26 x 18.5 cm Mochizuki Hanzan, traditionally dated 1743-1790, styled himself Haritsu II and worked in close emulation of Ogawa Haritsu (Ritsuo). Although neither a direct pupil nor descendant, his works demonstrate a sophisticated adaptation of the Haritsu idiom, combining lacquer with ceramic and other inlays. Some works are sealed “Kan,” contributing to the longstanding challenge of distinguishing his oeuvre from that of Haritsu himself. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related inlaid wood bunko by Ritsuo, bearing a similar design, 28.4 x 21.4 x 9.4 cm, at Van Ham, Asiatische Kunst, 9 June 2016, Cologne, lot 2263 (sold for EUR 10,320 or approx. EUR 13,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Also compare a related four-case inro of an elephant, signed Ritsuo and sealed Kan, the present inro motif clearly derived from this archetype, at Bonhams, The Edward Wrangham Collection of Japanese Art, 9 November 2010, London, lot 209 (sold for GBP 22,800 or approx. EUR 41,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).

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