13th Jun, 2025 10:00
Fine Japanese Art
29
A FINE AND LARGE SILVER SAKE EWER WITH PEONY FLOWERS
Sold for €4,160
including Buyer's Premium
Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912)
The gently rounded body raised on a slightly spreading foot with recessed base. The cover topped with a swivel gourd-shaped finial, hinged overarching handle, and wide conical spout. The exterior finely embossed with neatly incised peony scroll against a minutely ring-punched ground.
HEIGHT 24.5 cm
WEIGHT 1,587 g
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and manufacturing irregularities, expected minor tarnish, few scratches on the inside.
Provenance: The collection of Jean Charles Pabst, thence by descent. A private collection in the Netherlands, acquired from the above. The base with an old label inscribed, ‘Collection Pabst Ambassadeur Tokyo’. Jean Charles Pabst (1873-1942) was a Dutch diplomat known for his work in Japan during the early 20th century. The son of Antonius Henricus Pabst, a colonial official in the Dutch East Indies, Pabst began his career as a military officer in 1899, participating in the Aceh conflict and later serving as a military attaché in Tokyo and Beijing (1910-1916), where he closely observed the military developments in Japan and China. He was later appointed Dutch Ambassador to Tokyo in 1923, a position in which he stood out not only for his political and military insights but also for his interest in Japanese culture. Pabst led a remarkably frugal life: he did not smoke, did not drink alcohol or coffee, went out little and received few guests at home. An unusual lifestyle for a diplomat of his rank at that time. His main interest consisted, however, in the study of local customs and artistic practices, becoming in time a passionate collector of Japanese art, contributing to its understanding in the Western world and fostering the cultural exchange between Japan and Europe. His deep knowledge of Japan and his exceptional character were greatly admired by foreign colleagues such as U.S. Ambassador Joseph C. Grew, who respected him for his extensive expertise, especially during his early years in Tokyo, when many diplomats still lacked knowledge of the country.
Auction comparison:
Compare a related silver pot, also dated to the Meiji period, sold at Bonhams, Fine Japanese and Korean Art, 17 March 2021, London, lot 610 (sold for USD 11,475).
Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912)
The gently rounded body raised on a slightly spreading foot with recessed base. The cover topped with a swivel gourd-shaped finial, hinged overarching handle, and wide conical spout. The exterior finely embossed with neatly incised peony scroll against a minutely ring-punched ground.
HEIGHT 24.5 cm
WEIGHT 1,587 g
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and manufacturing irregularities, expected minor tarnish, few scratches on the inside.
Provenance: The collection of Jean Charles Pabst, thence by descent. A private collection in the Netherlands, acquired from the above. The base with an old label inscribed, ‘Collection Pabst Ambassadeur Tokyo’. Jean Charles Pabst (1873-1942) was a Dutch diplomat known for his work in Japan during the early 20th century. The son of Antonius Henricus Pabst, a colonial official in the Dutch East Indies, Pabst began his career as a military officer in 1899, participating in the Aceh conflict and later serving as a military attaché in Tokyo and Beijing (1910-1916), where he closely observed the military developments in Japan and China. He was later appointed Dutch Ambassador to Tokyo in 1923, a position in which he stood out not only for his political and military insights but also for his interest in Japanese culture. Pabst led a remarkably frugal life: he did not smoke, did not drink alcohol or coffee, went out little and received few guests at home. An unusual lifestyle for a diplomat of his rank at that time. His main interest consisted, however, in the study of local customs and artistic practices, becoming in time a passionate collector of Japanese art, contributing to its understanding in the Western world and fostering the cultural exchange between Japan and Europe. His deep knowledge of Japan and his exceptional character were greatly admired by foreign colleagues such as U.S. Ambassador Joseph C. Grew, who respected him for his extensive expertise, especially during his early years in Tokyo, when many diplomats still lacked knowledge of the country.
Auction comparison:
Compare a related silver pot, also dated to the Meiji period, sold at Bonhams, Fine Japanese and Korean Art, 17 March 2021, London, lot 610 (sold for USD 11,475).
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