Lot 3*
Shibata Zeshin 柴田是真 (1807–1891) TOBACCO TRAY WITH BIRD-SHAPED KITE 凧図蒔絵煙草盆 Meiji era (1868-1912), circa 1870–1890
10 November 2015, 13:00 GMT
London, New Bond StreetSold for £31,250 inc. premium
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Find your local specialistShibata Zeshin 柴田是真 (1807–1891) TOBACCO TRAY WITH BIRD-SHAPED KITE 凧図蒔絵煙草盆
Meiji era (1868-1912), circa 1870–1890
A deep tray with curved corners, the slightly recessed interior with indented corners, the wood body entirely covered in almost black chadō-nuri with ishime-nuri texture, the interior decorated in highly polished low black takamaki-e with a kite in the form of a crow viewed from below and upside-down (as indicated by the location of the signature on the base), details of the feet and eyes in silver lacquer, the kite string and its ties depicted in gold hiramaki-e partly incised in subori technique to indicate the individual twisted threads, the string extending over the top side and the base to the long-handled itomaki (winder) depicted on the side, its wood and bamboo components rendered in takamaki-e of gold, shibuichi, and shakudō powder incised in subori technique with wood grain
Signed in gold hiramaki-e on the base at lower left Zeshin 是真
4.5 × 28.5 × 22.9 cm (1¾ × 11¼ × 9 in.)
Wooden storage box with label inscribed Tako maki-e tabako-bon Zeshin saku 凧蒔絵煙艸盆 是真作 (Maki-e tobacco tray by Zeshin) and letter of authentication from Shōji Hōshin (1898–1993), reading Zeshin-ō saku tako maki-e seidōji tabako-bon shinsaku mugi mono nari Shōwa gojūkyūnen uzuki hachijūroku-ō Hōshin kan 是真翁作 凧蒔絵青銅地煙艸盆 真作無疑者也 昭和五十九年卯月 八十六翁 芳真鑒 (Seidō-ground tobacco tray by Zeshin, authentic work examined by Hōshin, aged 86, April 1984) with seals Shōji 庄司 and Koma 古満; wrapper sealed Hōshin no in 芳真之印 (Seal of Hōshin) (3)
Provenance
Yoshiie Family, Suisekitei Collection
吉家家（水石亭）旧藏
Exhibited and Published
Nezu Bijutsukan 2012, cat. no. 18
A deep tray with curved corners, the slightly recessed interior with indented corners, the wood body entirely covered in almost black chadō-nuri with ishime-nuri texture, the interior decorated in highly polished low black takamaki-e with a kite in the form of a crow viewed from below and upside-down (as indicated by the location of the signature on the base), details of the feet and eyes in silver lacquer, the kite string and its ties depicted in gold hiramaki-e partly incised in subori technique to indicate the individual twisted threads, the string extending over the top side and the base to the long-handled itomaki (winder) depicted on the side, its wood and bamboo components rendered in takamaki-e of gold, shibuichi, and shakudō powder incised in subori technique with wood grain
Signed in gold hiramaki-e on the base at lower left Zeshin 是真
4.5 × 28.5 × 22.9 cm (1¾ × 11¼ × 9 in.)
Wooden storage box with label inscribed Tako maki-e tabako-bon Zeshin saku 凧蒔絵煙艸盆 是真作 (Maki-e tobacco tray by Zeshin) and letter of authentication from Shōji Hōshin (1898–1993), reading Zeshin-ō saku tako maki-e seidōji tabako-bon shinsaku mugi mono nari Shōwa gojūkyūnen uzuki hachijūroku-ō Hōshin kan 是真翁作 凧蒔絵青銅地煙艸盆 真作無疑者也 昭和五十九年卯月 八十六翁 芳真鑒 (Seidō-ground tobacco tray by Zeshin, authentic work examined by Hōshin, aged 86, April 1984) with seals Shōji 庄司 and Koma 古満; wrapper sealed Hōshin no in 芳真之印 (Seal of Hōshin) (3)
Provenance
Yoshiie Family, Suisekitei Collection
吉家家（水石亭）旧藏
Exhibited and Published
Nezu Bijutsukan 2012, cat. no. 18
Footnotes
In his catalogue note for the 2012 Zeshin exhibition at the Nezu Museum, Takao Yō comments that the kite depicted here is no ordinary toy but a special variety that was probably, and typically, Zeshin's own invention.
The Yoshiie family referred to in the certificate lived in Tokyo and were owners of a panel depicting a harvest festival, completed in 1882, that is one of the finest works in the Khalili Collection; they also owned a tiered box and another panel in the Khalili Collection (Earle 1996, cat. nos. 23, 27, 29), as well as lot no. 9 in the present catalogue.
