16th Apr, 2021 13:00
Fine Netsuke & Sagemono
341
SHIOMI MASANARI: A CHARMING SMALL TWO-CASE GOLD LACQUER INRO WITH A HERDBOY AND OX
Sold for €7,320
including Buyer's Premium
By a member of the Masanari family, signed Shiomi Masanari 鹽見政誠
Japan, mid to late 19th century
Published: Eskenazi Ltd. (1996), Japanese Inro and Lacquer-ware from a Private Swedish Collection, pp. 36-37, no. 30.
The two-case inro lacquered in brilliant iro-e togidashi-e against a gold kinji ground, depicting a herdboy hauling on the halter of an ox which tries to free itself from him. The inside compartments with coarse nashiji.
HEIGHT 5.7 cm
Condition: Good condition. There are some light surface scratches and a tiny area of discoloration to the boy’s silver robe.
Provenance: Segal collection. Then collection Ankarcrona, sold at Christie’s, Netsuke and lacquer from the Japanese department of Eskenazi Limited, 17 November 1999, London, lot 41 (sold for 3,220 GBP).
The imagery plays on a Zen Buddhist parable which draws a parallel between the herdboy and ox and the attainment of enlightenment. It is most famously portrayed in the series of ten ox herding pictures (originally only eight) accompanied by a series of short poems by Kakuan Shien. The motif is often associated with the Shiomi Masanari family of lacquer artists founded at the end of the seventeenth century, whose name was passed down by successive generations of pupils and descendants.
Sten Ankarcrona (1861-1936) began collecting Asian works of art upon his first visit to Japan in the late 1880s – a golden age of travel and European collecting. The young aristocratic Swedish naval officer became fascinated by the breadth of artistic production in the region and continued to add to his collection back in Europe. In 1923, by then an admiral, he was appointed by the King of Sweden to travel back to Japan on a special mission, where he spent two months making many more purchases. This love of Asian art was later passed down to the admiral’s children and grandchildren, who have enriched the ensemble during their own visits to Japan, through specialist dealers and at auction houses throughout the second half of the 20th century, continuing into the early 21st century.
Auction comparison:
For a related inro by the Masanari family see Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 11 May 2017, London, lot 84 (sold for 8,750 GBP).
By a member of the Masanari family, signed Shiomi Masanari 鹽見政誠
Japan, mid to late 19th century
Published: Eskenazi Ltd. (1996), Japanese Inro and Lacquer-ware from a Private Swedish Collection, pp. 36-37, no. 30.
The two-case inro lacquered in brilliant iro-e togidashi-e against a gold kinji ground, depicting a herdboy hauling on the halter of an ox which tries to free itself from him. The inside compartments with coarse nashiji.
HEIGHT 5.7 cm
Condition: Good condition. There are some light surface scratches and a tiny area of discoloration to the boy’s silver robe.
Provenance: Segal collection. Then collection Ankarcrona, sold at Christie’s, Netsuke and lacquer from the Japanese department of Eskenazi Limited, 17 November 1999, London, lot 41 (sold for 3,220 GBP).
The imagery plays on a Zen Buddhist parable which draws a parallel between the herdboy and ox and the attainment of enlightenment. It is most famously portrayed in the series of ten ox herding pictures (originally only eight) accompanied by a series of short poems by Kakuan Shien. The motif is often associated with the Shiomi Masanari family of lacquer artists founded at the end of the seventeenth century, whose name was passed down by successive generations of pupils and descendants.
Sten Ankarcrona (1861-1936) began collecting Asian works of art upon his first visit to Japan in the late 1880s – a golden age of travel and European collecting. The young aristocratic Swedish naval officer became fascinated by the breadth of artistic production in the region and continued to add to his collection back in Europe. In 1923, by then an admiral, he was appointed by the King of Sweden to travel back to Japan on a special mission, where he spent two months making many more purchases. This love of Asian art was later passed down to the admiral’s children and grandchildren, who have enriched the ensemble during their own visits to Japan, through specialist dealers and at auction houses throughout the second half of the 20th century, continuing into the early 21st century.
Auction comparison:
For a related inro by the Masanari family see Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 11 May 2017, London, lot 84 (sold for 8,750 GBP).
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.
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.
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.
