A RARE KEYAKI WOOD SEA CHEST WITH ALARM MECHANISM, FUNA DANSU, EDO PERIOD

拍品描述

A RARE KEYAKI WOOD SEA CHEST WITH ALARM MECHANISM, FUNA DANSU, EDO PERIOD This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005: “No. 376, TT 1983, Japanese Ship Safe w. ringing lock in Keaki wood 17th-18th c.” Gallery price: EUR 3,300 or approx. EUR 5,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. Japan, 17th-18th century. Of rectangular form, finely constructed from attractively grained keyaki wood, the front fitted with a drop-down door opening to a storage compartment comprising three rows of drawers: the upper with a single full-width drawer, the middle with one large and one small drawer, and the lower with three small drawers, each fitted with metal handles. The exterior reinforced with elaborate hand-forged iron mounts, including shaped corner brackets, hinges and lock plates, all finely worked and engraved with designs of ho-o birds, bamboo stalks and kiku (chrysanthemum) blossoms, and flanked by a pair of carrying handles. The central lock has an alarm mechanism that causes a small bell ring whenever the accompanying original key is turned inside. (2) Important Note: For essential information on the Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger Dimensions: Size 33.5 x 34.5 x 50 cm Funa-dansu were storage chests used aboard coastal trading vessels during the Edo period. These chests served as the secure repositories for a ship captain's or merchant owner's most valuable possessions, including money, seals, account books, contracts, navigational charts and other important documents. As maritime trade flourished along Japan's coasts, particularly on the famous Kitamaebune shipping route connecting Osaka with the ports of the Sea of Japan and Hokkaido, the need for durable and secure storage gave rise to some of the most sophisticated forms of Japanese cabinetry. Unlike domestic furniture, funa-dansu were designed to withstand the harsh conditions of life at sea. Mostly constructed from dense and highly durable keyaki (Japanese zelkova), resistance to moisture and beautiful grain. Contemporary accounts record that such chests were built so sturdily that they could survive shipwrecks and prolonged exposure to the sea while safeguarding their contents. Funa-dansu also played an important ceremonial role. Historical sources note that when a merchant vessel arrived in port, the captain's chest would frequently be carried ashore and prominently displayed during negotiations. In this way the chest became a visible symbol of the owner's commercial success, reliability and social standing. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams San Francisco, 22 March 2016, lot 9533 Price: USD 8,125 or approx. EUR 10,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related form (albeit probably not a funa-dansu) and similar keyaki wood. Note the size (59.4 x 69.7 x 36.1 cm) and slightly later dating.

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