OTSUKI KORIN: AN OTSUKI SCHOOL SHAKUDO TSUBA DEPICTING SOSHI (ZHUANG ZHOU) DREAMING
Lot 87 - JPN1225

Lineage of Otsuki Korin, signed Otsuki Korin with kakihan
Japan, 18^th-19^th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Of nagamarugata form, with one kozuka hitsu ana, the shakudo migakiji ground decorated in gold and iro-e takazogan, featuring Soshi (Zhuang Zhou) asleep beside a large sake saucer, with butterflies fluttering above, a dreamy mist emerging from his head and leading to a figure wearing a large hat and holding a fan and inscribed with a Chinese poem in gold: 良酒好夢中観楽見 [Ryoshu Komu chu kanraku ken (Fine wine and sweet dreams, within them, joy reveals itself)], composed by Sanseki Dojin. Signed OTSUKI KORIN with a gold kakihan.

HEIGHT 7.8 cm, LENGTH 7.5 cm
WEIGHT 183.7 g

Provenance: Sotheby’s, Asian Arts, 6 December 2007, Paris, lot 217. From the private collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, New York, acquired from the above. Alan Hartman (1930-2023) was an influential American art dealer, who took over his parents’ antique business in Manhattan and established the legendary Rare Art Gallery on Madison Avenue, with further locations in Dallas and Palm Beach. His wife Simone (née Horowitz) already served as assistant manager of the New York gallery before the couple were married in 1975, and together they built a renowned collection for over half a century and became noted art patrons, enriching the collections of important museums including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (which opened the Alan and Simone Hartman Galleries in 2013) as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Brooklyn Museum in New York. Notably, they assembled an impressive collection of Japanese art, focusing on fine netsuke, inro, and lacquer.
Condition: Good condition with light wear to inlays, a few surface scratches, minuscule losses to the rim, and few nicks.

With a wood tomobako (storage box).

Zhuang Zhou, commonly known as Zhuangzi (Japanese: Soshi), was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BC during the Warring States period. He is credited with writing one of the foundational texts of Daoism, known by his name, the Zhuangzi. The most famous of all Zhuangzi stories – Zhuang Zhou Dreams of Being a Butterfly – appears at the end of the second chapter, On the Equality of Things: “Once, Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering about, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn't know that he was Zhuang Zhou. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuang Zhou. But he didn't know if he was Zhuang Zhou who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming that he was Zhuang Zhou. Between Zhuang Zhou and the butterfly there must be some distinction! This is called the Transformation of Things.” (Zhuangzi, chapter 2 [Watson translation]).

Otsuki Korin (died 1742), also read as Otsuki Mitsushige, is listed in Haynes Index of Japanese Sword Fittings and Associated Artists on p.1092 (H 05396.0). He is said to be the founder of the Otsuki family school. He is also listed in the Soken Kisho, vol. 3, p. 12.