2nd Dec, 2022 13:00
Fine Japanese Art
81
SHOKAKEN: A LARGE AND EXCEPTIONAL BRONZE KORO (INCENSE BURNER) AND COVER WITH THE TWELVE ANIMALS OF THE ZODIAC (JUNISHI)
Sold for €2,600
including Buyer's Premium
By Oshima Yasutaro (Shokaken), signed Dai Nihon Kanda kawabe ju, Shokaken kore wo chu
Japan, late 19th century, Meiji period (1868-1912)
Finely cast, the compressed globular body supported on a tall, prominent foot and rising to a broad cylindrical neck with galleried rim, flanked by two handles in the form of baying kirin with exquisitely rendered curved horns, scrolling manes, and muscular bodies. The slightly domed cover is surmounted by two karako, one standing wearing a shishimai mask and the other seated beside a drum incised with a mitsudomo-e symbol and holding a stick, both showing cheerful expressions. The koro and cover are crisply cast with finely worked diapered patterns, the body is further cast in relief with the twelve animals of the zodiac, each dynamically rendered and neatly detailed to convey the mythical race that would determine their order in the zodiac. The foot is raised on five legs in the form of winged kirin with elongated bodies atop a circular base decorated with concentric diapered bands encircling a raised central medallion cast in relief with sparrows in flight amid swirling clouds. The underside of the foot is cast with the inscription and signature Dai-Nihon Kanda kawabe ju, SHOKAKEN kore wo chu (‘This is cast by Shokaken, resident by the Kanda River, Great Japan’).
HEIGHT 75 cm
WEIGHT 19 kg
Oshima Yasutaro (artist name: Shokaken) was born to a prominent family of metalworkers in 1849 and was the son of Oshima Takajiro. Together with his younger brother Oshima Joun (1858–1940), he successfully ran a studio called Sanseisha and produced bronzes of the finest quality. In Recollections of Oshima Joun, by Katori Hozuma published in 1941 by Tokyo Chukin-kai (Tokyo Cast Metalwork Association), he talked of his older brother who died young as being of the first rank of bronze metalwork artists in 1878, producing works of the very highest quality and commissioned for the world exhibitions. Shokaken indeed exhibited his works at numerous international expositions, including a metalwork incense burner at the Vienna World Exposition in 1873, which is now housed in the Austrian Museum of Applied Arts and Contemporary Art, Vienna (Illustrated in Arts of East and West from World Expositions 1855-1900: Paris, Vienna and Chicago (Commemorating the 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan), (Osaka, 2004), p. 20, plate l-16).
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, minimal casting flaws, few minuscule nicks, occasional light surface scratches.
Provenance: French private collection.
Auction comparison:
Compare a related bronze koro by Shokaken, 50 cm high, at Zacke, 3 December 2021, Vienna, lot 8 (sold for EUR 4,045).
By Oshima Yasutaro (Shokaken), signed Dai Nihon Kanda kawabe ju, Shokaken kore wo chu
Japan, late 19th century, Meiji period (1868-1912)
Finely cast, the compressed globular body supported on a tall, prominent foot and rising to a broad cylindrical neck with galleried rim, flanked by two handles in the form of baying kirin with exquisitely rendered curved horns, scrolling manes, and muscular bodies. The slightly domed cover is surmounted by two karako, one standing wearing a shishimai mask and the other seated beside a drum incised with a mitsudomo-e symbol and holding a stick, both showing cheerful expressions. The koro and cover are crisply cast with finely worked diapered patterns, the body is further cast in relief with the twelve animals of the zodiac, each dynamically rendered and neatly detailed to convey the mythical race that would determine their order in the zodiac. The foot is raised on five legs in the form of winged kirin with elongated bodies atop a circular base decorated with concentric diapered bands encircling a raised central medallion cast in relief with sparrows in flight amid swirling clouds. The underside of the foot is cast with the inscription and signature Dai-Nihon Kanda kawabe ju, SHOKAKEN kore wo chu (‘This is cast by Shokaken, resident by the Kanda River, Great Japan’).
HEIGHT 75 cm
WEIGHT 19 kg
Oshima Yasutaro (artist name: Shokaken) was born to a prominent family of metalworkers in 1849 and was the son of Oshima Takajiro. Together with his younger brother Oshima Joun (1858–1940), he successfully ran a studio called Sanseisha and produced bronzes of the finest quality. In Recollections of Oshima Joun, by Katori Hozuma published in 1941 by Tokyo Chukin-kai (Tokyo Cast Metalwork Association), he talked of his older brother who died young as being of the first rank of bronze metalwork artists in 1878, producing works of the very highest quality and commissioned for the world exhibitions. Shokaken indeed exhibited his works at numerous international expositions, including a metalwork incense burner at the Vienna World Exposition in 1873, which is now housed in the Austrian Museum of Applied Arts and Contemporary Art, Vienna (Illustrated in Arts of East and West from World Expositions 1855-1900: Paris, Vienna and Chicago (Commemorating the 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan), (Osaka, 2004), p. 20, plate l-16).
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, minimal casting flaws, few minuscule nicks, occasional light surface scratches.
Provenance: French private collection.
Auction comparison:
Compare a related bronze koro by Shokaken, 50 cm high, at Zacke, 3 December 2021, Vienna, lot 8 (sold for EUR 4,045).
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.
