Masters of Enamel: The Collection of John and Muriel Okladek | Including Further Japanese Works of Art from the Meiji Period, 1868-1912

Masters of Enamel: The Collection of John and Muriel Okladek | Including Further Japanese Works of Art from the Meiji Period, 1868-1912

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 132. A Zohiko lacquered wood suiban [water basin] | Meiji - Taisho period, late 19th - early 20th century.

A Zohiko lacquered wood suiban [water basin] | Meiji - Taisho period, late 19th - early 20th century

Lot Closed

November 3, 04:11 PM GMT

Estimate

2,000 - 3,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

A Zohiko lacquered wood suiban [water basin]

Meiji - Taisho period, late 19th - early 20th century 


the circular basin of squat, shallow form raised on three short feet, the exterior decorated in gold, silver, red and black hiramaki-e, takamaki-e and keuchi on a matt charcoal ground, with three fan-tailed goldfish realistically rendered, swimming among stylised reeds and swirling waters, with a fitted wood storage box (tomobako)

35.5 cm., 13¾ in. diam.

The lacquerer Zohiko is the descendant of Nishimura Sochu (1720-1773) who has at least eight generations, all of whom used the signature "Heian Zohiko". The last generation of Zohiko, Nishimura Hikobei VIII (1887-1965) spent two and half years to complete these boxes for Baron Iwasaki Koyata (1912-1945), the notable collector and the son of Iwasaki Yanosuke (1851-1908), the founder of Mitsubishi jisho and the Seikado Bunko Art Museum.