28th Apr, 2023 13:00

Fine Netsuke & Sagemono

 
Lot 72
 

72

ICHIYU: A SUPERB NAGOYA SCHOOL WOOD NETSUKE OF A RECUMBENT KIRIN

Sold for €12,870

including Buyer's Premium


Lot details

By Ichiyu, signed Ichiyu 一友
Japan, Nagoya, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Superbly carved with intricate details, depicting a recumbent two-horned kirin with long flowing whiskers, a well-carved mane, ridged spine, and finely incised, bushy tail which sweeps around its side. The legs are tucked close to the body, the two forelegs arched as the kirin lifts itself ever so slightly, the head turned backwards curiously. Natural himotoshi and signed ICHIYU within a shaped, polished reserve underneath.

LENGTH 3.7 cm

Condition: Very good condition, minor wear. Old repair to one of the whiskers.
Provenance: De-accessioned from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Sotheby's, Netsuke, Ojime, Inro, 8 January 1981, Honolulu, lot 97. A noted private collection, USA.

This type of coveted kirin carving was likely invented by Ikkan of Nagoya and the model was treated with slight variations, generally increasing in intricacy, by several members of the Nagoya school lineage such as Ichimin, Ichiyu, Masatoshi and Masayuki.

Literature comparison:
Compare to a closely related wood netsuke of a singled horn kirin by Masatoshi illustrated in Sydney L. Moss Ltd. (1993) Zodiac Beasts and Distant Cousins, no. 56.

Auction comparison:
Compare to a closely related wood netsuke of a recumbent kirin by Ikkan, sold at Bonhams, Tradition Travel Transition Japanese Art Across the Centuries, 4 November 2021, London, lot 6 (sold for 19,000 GBP). Also compare to a closely related wood netsuke of a recumbent kirin by Ichimin, sold at Quinn’s Auction Galleries, The Helen & Jack Mang Collection of Netsuke, 7 December 2007, Falls Church, Virginia, lot 218 (sold for hammer price 12,000 USD).

 

By Ichiyu, signed Ichiyu 一友
Japan, Nagoya, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Superbly carved with intricate details, depicting a recumbent two-horned kirin with long flowing whiskers, a well-carved mane, ridged spine, and finely incised, bushy tail which sweeps around its side. The legs are tucked close to the body, the two forelegs arched as the kirin lifts itself ever so slightly, the head turned backwards curiously. Natural himotoshi and signed ICHIYU within a shaped, polished reserve underneath.

LENGTH 3.7 cm

Condition: Very good condition, minor wear. Old repair to one of the whiskers.
Provenance: De-accessioned from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Sotheby's, Netsuke, Ojime, Inro, 8 January 1981, Honolulu, lot 97. A noted private collection, USA.

This type of coveted kirin carving was likely invented by Ikkan of Nagoya and the model was treated with slight variations, generally increasing in intricacy, by several members of the Nagoya school lineage such as Ichimin, Ichiyu, Masatoshi and Masayuki.

Literature comparison:
Compare to a closely related wood netsuke of a singled horn kirin by Masatoshi illustrated in Sydney L. Moss Ltd. (1993) Zodiac Beasts and Distant Cousins, no. 56.

Auction comparison:
Compare to a closely related wood netsuke of a recumbent kirin by Ikkan, sold at Bonhams, Tradition Travel Transition Japanese Art Across the Centuries, 4 November 2021, London, lot 6 (sold for 19,000 GBP). Also compare to a closely related wood netsuke of a recumbent kirin by Ichimin, sold at Quinn’s Auction Galleries, The Helen & Jack Mang Collection of Netsuke, 7 December 2007, Falls Church, Virginia, lot 218 (sold for hammer price 12,000 USD).

Zacke Live Online Bidding

Our online bidding platform makes it easier than ever to bid in our auctions! When you bid through our website, you can take advantage of our premium buyer's terms without incurring any additional online bidding surcharges.

To bid live online, you'll need to create an online account. Once your account is created and your identity is verified, you can register to bid in an auction up to 12 hours before the auction begins. 

Create an Account

  

Intended Spend and Bid Limits

When you register to bid in an online auction, you will need to share your intended maximum spending budget for the auction. We will then review your intended spend and set a bid limit for you. Once you have pre-registered for a live online auction, you can see your intended spend and bid limit by going to 'Account Settings' and clicking on 'Live Bidding Registrations'. 

Your bid limit will be the maximum amount you can bid during the auction. Your bid limit is for the hammer price and is not affected by the buyer’s premium and VAT.  For example, if you have a bid limit of €1,000 and place two winning bids for €300 and €200, then you will only be able to bid €500 for the rest of the auction. If you try to place a bid that is higher than €500, you will not be able to do so.

 

Online Absentee and Telephone Bids

You can now leave absentee and telephone bids on our website! 

Absentee Bidding

Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave your absentee bid directly on the lot page. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.

Telephone Bidding

Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave telephone bids online. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.

Telephone Bidding Form

 

Classic Absentee and Telephone Bidding Form

You can still submit absentee and telephone bids by email or fax if you prefer. Simply fill out the Absentee Bidding/Telephone bidding form and return it to us by email at office@zacke.at or by fax at +43 (1) 532 04 52 20. You can download the PDF from our Upcoming Auctions page. 

 

How-To Guides

How to Create Your Personal Zacke Account
How to Register to Bid on Zacke Live
How to Leave Absentee Bids Online
How to Leave Telephone Bids Online

 

中文版本的操作指南 

创建新账号
注册Zacke Live在线直播竞拍(免平台费)
缺席投标和电话投标

 

Third-Party Bidding

We partner with best-in-class third-party partners to make it easy for you to bid online in the channel of your choice. Please note that if you bid with one of our third-party online partners, then there will be a live bidding surcharge on top of your final purchase price. You can find all of our fees here. Here's a full list of our third-party partners:

  • 51 Bid Live
  • EpaiLive
  • ArtFoxLive
  • Invaluable
  • LiveAuctioneers
  • the-saleroom
  • lot-tissimo
  • Drouot

Please note that we place different auctions on different platforms. For example, in general, we only place Chinese art auctions on 51 Bid Live.

  

Bidding in Person

You must register to bid in person and will be assigned a paddle at the auction. Please contact us at office@zacke.at or +43 (1) 532 04 52 for the latest local health and safety guidelines.