A BRONZE OKIMONO OF A TIGER, BY KAKUUNSAI, MEIJI PERIOD, LATE 19TH CENTURY

拍品描述

A BRONZE OKIMONO OF A TIGER, BY KAKUUNSAI, MEIJI PERIOD, LATE 19TH CENTURY This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve Japan. Finely cast seated on its haunches with its limbs languidly poised, the tail swung to one side, and the muscular body with meticulously incised fur and neatly engraved stripes. The beast with a commanding expression, its mouth tightly shut revealing four fangs, the almond-shaped eyes partially gilt. Inscriptions: To the base, signed 鶴雲斎 ‘Kakuunsai’ [lit. ‘Crane, Clouds, Studio’]. Important Note: For essential information on the Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger Dimensions: Length 19.5 cm Bronze figures of animals were made in larger numbers from the early 1880s. It is often said that this development was connected with the opening of the Tokyo Zoological Gardens in Ueno in 1882 (the first tiger arrived in 1887), but this is not certain. The tiger had long been an important subject in Japanese art, particularly in the Edo period. Although not native to Japan, it appears frequently in painting, prints, and decorative arts as a symbol of strength and authority. Edo-period depictions were usually based on Chinese and Korean models, as well as indirect observation of cats and imported tiger skins. In the Meiji period, the tiger became a popular subject in bronze sculpture, especially in okimono made for domestic use and export. These works often show the animal in dynamic poses, with carefully modelled fur, striped surface decoration, and in some cases gilt or inlaid eyes. They reflect the high technical level of Meiji bronze workshops and the popularity of animal subjects in late 19th-century sculpture. Literature comparison: Compare a related bronze okimono of a tiger by Genryusai Seiya, dated ca. 1880-1890, in the Victoria & Albert Museum, accession number FE.22-1971.

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