On September 14th Bonhams, New York will offer a highly anticipated sale of fine Japanese Works of Art. Comprised of over 200 lots and featuring fine examples of armor and decorative arts, the sale offers a number of excellent collecting opportunities.
Highlighting the selection of armor to be offered is a lacquered silver-green armor laced in purple. The Saika school helmet that completes the outstanding suit of armor has a dragonfly forecrest and the heraldic crests of the Sonobe family, daimyo of Tanba province. Estimated at $60,000-80,000, the piece is sure to attract serious bidding.
Another armor of interest will be a lacquered black and blue laced armor finished in a “fabric” surface texture. Topped with a helmet modeled after the Lucky God Daikoku’s cap, the armor is recreation of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s famous suit now in the Tokugawa foundation collection. The dramatic lot is estimated at $12,000-18,000.
Additionally, a miniature armor constructed in the same manner and materials as a full-sized armor will draw collectors. Estimated at $7,000-9,000, the armor was created for the Boy’s Day festival and is laced in orange, mounted with gilt-copper hardware carved as chrysanthemums floating on a stream, and offered with an eight-plate russet oboshi kabuto helmet.
Certain to inspire competitive bidding is a 19th century, matching lacquer writing box “suzuribako” (pictured, left) and writing table “bundai” (pictured, right). Each is designed with a scene of Miyajima and Itsukushima shrine and their surrounding landscapes in a variety of lacquer techniques. The writing box – decorated with the shrine complex stretching out into the water rendered in two shades of gold and a scene of pine-covered rocky islands in raised gold lacquer with kirigane and hirame highlights – is fitted with a removable tray, an inkstone with silver rims, a gold and silver water dropper cast as a heron on a river boat, two brushes, a paper knife, paper pricker and ink holder. The writing table is decorated similarly and accented with silver trim on the edges; legs lacquered in two shades of gold, red and black; and raised borders of the tables decorated in lozenges of plim florets in gold. By Yugetsu, this exquisitely detailed piece is expected to fetch $55,000-65,000.
Highlighting the selection of Decorative Arts is a tritych of hanging scrolls. Depicting three beauties, the signed and sealed ink, color and gold on silk scrolls by artist Teisai Hokuba are estimated at $20,000-30,000.
A large wood sculpture of the bodhisattva Fugen is also of great interest. The deity is posed seated cross legged on a lotus dais supported by his recumbent elephant, both carved from wood and assembled and decorated in dry lacquer, pigment and gold lacquer. The bodhisattva is modeled with voluminous robes, a formal brocade jacket decorated with lotus flowers with sleeves animated as if blown by wind, holding a large gilt-metal scepter in both hands, and a tall chignon adorned with a gilt-metal and colored-stone crown. Wonderfully detailed the lot is estimated at $15,000-20,000.
Also to be offered are a woodcut from Kitagawa Utamaro’s series Twelve Types of Women’s Handicraft ca. 1798-1799, signed published by Wakasaya Yoichi (Est.$10,000-15,000) and a large six-panel ink, color and gold leaf on paper folding screen depicting a Flower Cart (est. $6,000-8,000).
The sale will be on view at Bonhams New York starting September 10th until the day of the auction which takes place on September 14th at1PM EST. The illustrated auction catalog for the sale will be online at www.bonhams.com/us in the weeks preceding the preview and auction. For more information about the department, please visit www.bonhams.com/newyork.
