A BIZEN TACHI
REGISTERED AS A JUYO BIJUTSUHIN [IMPORTANT ART OBJECT]

Prospective buyers of this lot should be aware tha… Read more

FOREWORD Since Christie's was established in 1766 the firm has played a leading role in the market for Japanese and Chinese art, informing and reflecting global taste in the finest products of East Asian culture. It is therefore with great pride that we present this outstanding selection of ceramics, swords, calligraphy and other works from the holdings of The Manno Art Museum in Osaka, whose present collections were formed over a period of more than half a century by the leading industrialist Mr Yasuaki Manno. Christie's feels especially honoured to be the first international auction house to offer seven masterpieces that are registered by the Japanese Government as Important Art Objects. The works included in this catalogue cover a vast geographical area, a chronological span of nearly a thousand years and a wide range of human endeavour, from flawless porcelain to refined sword blades, superficially coarse ceramics for the tea ceremony and gems of courtly calligraphy, offering our clients a rare opportunity to enjoy some of the most distinctive work of artists and craftsmen of both China and Japan. There comes a time in the life of all great collections when holdings must be re-assessed, acquisition policies refined and plans laid for future development. We are deeply grateful to Mr Takaaki Manno, the son of the Museum's founder, for presenting Christie's with this dual opportunity both to offer our clients around the world a selection of Japanese and Chinese works of the highest quality and at the same time to assist the development of one of East Asia's leading art institutions. The sale will attract the interest and enthusiasm that it surely deserves and all of us at Christie's wish The Manno Art Museum every success with its future plans. Lord Hindlip Chairman Christie's International FOREWORD The art collection formed by Yasuaki Manno, founder of the Manno Art Museum, comprises some two thousand works from Japan and other countries of East Asia, with the principal emphasis on fine Chinese ceramics and Japanese pottery intended for use in the tea ceremony, as well as screens and other fine paintings. Since it opened in 1988, the Museum has held two themed exhibitions every year. Despite the Museum's success, the prolonged stagnation of the Japanese economy has made life extremely difficult for those charged with the management of private charitable foundations, while the recent dramatic rise in the number of museums in Japan, both public and private, has led to a decrease in visitor numbers. After detailed consideration of the future direction of the Manno Art Museum in the light of these changed circumstances, we have come to the conclusion that the best way to enhance its status and significance would be to put its finances on a sounder footing at the same time as laying the greatest possible emphasis on those aspects of its holdings which mark it out from similar institutions. We have therefore carried out a general re-assessment of the collections and decided to proceed with the sale of those items which fall outside our future acquisition policy or duplicate other pieces already in the Museum. By taking this step we intend to both reinforce the Foundation's operational capacity and put ourselves in a position where we can devote our energies to improving and strengthening our holdings on the basis of a more focused acquisition policy. In consideration of our status as a not-for-profit foundation and in order to ensure that this disposal is carried out in an open manner, attracting the maximum possible enthusiasm from interested parties around the world, we have decided to ask Christie's, with their proven global track record, to sell the works of art concerned at public auction. It is our sincere wish that all those concerned will cooperate fully in our endeavour to ensure the future success of the Museum. Takaaki Manno Director Manno Art Museum. INTRODUCTION The Manno collection was formed by the late Yasuaki Manno, an Osaka industrialist, over a period of more than 50 years. One of twentieth-century Japan's most outstanding entrepreneurs, Manno was born near Osaka in 1906 and inherited the family business at an early age. In the pre-war years he was principally involved in large-scale construction projects but following the destruction of many of the company's assets during the American aerial bombardment of Japan he took the opportunity to move the business in new directions including real estate, catering, taxis and other enterprises which continued to thrive until his death in 1998 at the age of ninety-one. In 1987 his extensive art collection was registered as a charitable foundation and The Manno Art Museum was opened in 1988. Situated on the thirteenth floor of an office building on Midosuji, Osaka's principal thoroughfare, it comprises two galleries, the first a large space devoted mainly to a display of Japanese screen paintings and the second an intimate, tranquil environment for the contemplation of hanging scrolls, craft items and other small-scale masterpieces. There is, in addition, a tearoom named Yuyuan (using a character from Yasuaki Manno's name) with a miniature garden, offering a haven of rest in the midst of Osaka's hectic business centre. Since its opening in 1988 the Museum has held two themed exhibitions each year, one in spring and the other in autumn, but in future it is planned both to increase the frequency of temporary displays and to embark on an ambitious programme of academic research. Reflecting the renewed commitment to education and communication that is currently sweeping through many Japanese art institutions, both public and private, the Museum also intends to promote collaborations with contemporary artists, making its treasured holdings a source of creative inspiration for the Japan of today and tomorrow. The collections of The Manno Art Museum comprise some two thousand works of art from Japan and other East Asian cultures, including many that have received the official Japanese Government designations of National Treasure, Important Cultural Property and Important Art Object; seven of the latter are included in the present sale. Although a conscious decision was taken at the outset to exclude Buddhist or other religious art, the scope of the collection is very broad, extending to Chinese ceramics, Japanese pottery and stoneware for use in the tea ceremony, paintings, calligraphy, lacquerware, metalwork, swords, armour and textiles. The retained collections are exemplified by the exhibition of Rinpa and Tea-Ceremony Utensils, Commemorating the Suntory Museum's 40th Anniversary, Masterpieces from the Manno Collection, which is being held at the Suntory Museum of Art in Tokyo, from 17 April until 3 June 2001. In the United Kingdom, the best known of the Museum's many masterpieces of Japanese painting is a pair of early seventeenth-century six-fold screens depicting the Narrow Ivy Road, designated an Important Cultural Property and attributed to Tawaraya Sotatsu, that were shown at the Great Japan Exhibition in London from December 1981 to February 1982. It was with the acquisition of this masterpiece that Mr Manno began to collect paintings in earnest, soon assembling an impressive range of works with the emphasis on pieces by Ogata Korin and other artists of the Rinpa school, as well as on ukiyo-e painting. Among the items added from the mid-1970s were a group of lacquerwares from the Ryukyu Islands (present-day Okinawa) and a collection of paintings by Maruyama Okyo (1733-95) that had been handed down in the Enman'in temple, Enjoji, Shiga prefecture. These acquisitions closely reflected the anticipated needs of the planned museum and it is with the same intention that the decision has now been taken to de-accession some 100 works in order to focus upon a limited number of key areas. As a happy consequence, lovers of Asian art now have a rare opportunity to acquire a range of masterpieces of Chinese and Japanese art, including in particular Japanese sword blades, calligraphy and tea utensils, as well as fine Chinese porcelain. While the Japanese blades offered cover all of the so-called gokaden [five traditions] of Yamashiro (Kyoto), Yamato, Bizen, Soshu (Sagami) and Mino provinces, many of them in exceptional mountings, the finest of all is undoubtedly the late thirteenth-century tachi [slung sword] signed by Rai Kunitoshi (lot 2). Both the structure of the forging pattern and the crystalline patterning of the all-important hardened edge are of outstanding quality even when set against other Yamashiro blades, making this one of the most significant Japanese swords to be offered at auction in recent years. Like the Kunitoshi tachi probably made for a member of the military elite, a fourteenth-century Ko-Seto ware bottle (lot 46), of a type often excavated in and around Kamakura (then Japan's capital city) introduces a range of pottery and stoneware from many of the best known kilns. As well as medieval wares from Seto and Tanba (lot 47), the Japanese ceramics in this catalogue include many that were made from the end of the sixteenth century in response to the newly evolved culture of the tea ceremony, whose emphasis on rustic simplicity inspired the creation of a range of seemingly unsophisticated yet aesthetically satisfying forms and textures. Among the most interesting examples on offer are a Shino-ware tea bowl with a cream glaze and simple decoration of a bridge (lot 48) and a roughly potted Shigaraki-ware flower vase intended for the display of a single blossom in the tokonoma [alcove] of the tea room (lot 52), as well as other wares either made or authenticated by members of the influential Omotosenke and Urasenke lines of tea-ceremony masters (lots 59 and 61). Japanese court culture is represented by two extremely rare pages of calligraphy, both of them registered as Important Art Objects. One of them (lot 45), from the hand of the Emperor Go-Mizuno-o (1596-1680, r. 1611-29), is a copy of an early medieval poem, reflecting the great revival of interest in classical culture during the early years of the seventeenth century. The other (lot 44) features two verses from the Ise-shu, an anthology by the court lady Ise no Go (late 9th-early 10th century), and was probably brushed during the twelfth century. Other pages from the same book are held in three American collections, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Arthur M. Sackler Museum and the Mary Griggs Burke collection. Yasuaki Manno was especially selective in his taste in Chinese ceramics, and the Chinese pieces offered in the sale of items from The Manno Art Museum include several ceramic masterpieces. The very fine underglaze blue decorated jar, with Xuande six-character mark, from the period 1426-35 (lot 88), is one of the rarest and more important pieces in the sale. Beautifully potted and elegantly painted with four floral sprays, the quality of the blue and the perfect balance of shape with painted decoration make this one of the most harmonious examples of the period. It is an outstanding example of the fine-quality porcelains made at the Chinese Imperial kilns during the Xuande reign, which is thought by many connoisseurs to be the apogee of underglaze blue porcelain production. One of the most important Qing dynasty porcelains in the sale is a rare moulded and incised underglaze copper-red decorated meiping vase from the Yongzheng period (1723-35) and bearing a six-character mark (lot 109). Made from the extremely refined porcelain characteristic of the Yongzheng reign in a shape that combines strength with elegance, the vase is decorated with a powerful large dragon, in pursuit of a flaming pearl on the upper part and smaller, less muscular, dragons around the base, all against a background of turbulent red waves. The extremely successful firing of the fluently painted underglaze red would have made this a rare example even during the Yongzheng period. From the same period and in complete contrast comes the pair of exquisite doucai decorated bowls (lot 103). These bowls, decorated with delicate floral medallions, display the perfection of enamels and painting, and the refinement that have made Yongzheng doucai porcelains so greatly appreciated. The earliest of the fine underglaze-painted porcelains offered in this sale is the very handsome meiping vase (lot 93) from the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). This example has an elegant profile, with wide shoulders and tapering to a narrow foot. The combination of motifs is rare and particularly complements the form of the vessel. The painting of the phoenix among floral scrolls and especially of the bold peony scroll which encircles the vase is of highest quality. The beautiful jewel-like blue of the Imperial Jiajing (1522-66) porcelains is justly famous and is seen at its best on the large so-called 'boys' jar (lot 87). The design on this jar, which depicts children playing in a garden, is one of the most sought-after and provides a perfect vehicle for the appreciation of the wonderful blue. These are just a few of the highlights from among the important pieces offered in this sale. IMPORTANT NOTICE RELATING TO LOTS 1, 2, 4, 8, 44, 45 and 46 Please note that Lots 1, 2, 4, 8, 44, 45 and 46 are registered with the Japanese government as 'Important Art Objects' under the Law concerning the Preservation of Important Art Objects (Law No. 43, 1933) and as such may not be exported from Japan. They are offered for sale by Christie Manson & Woods Ltd subject to the regulations applicable to 'Important Art Objects' and on the basis of Christie's Conditions of Sale set out at the back of this catalogue. These Lots are available for inspection at the office of Christie's Japan Ltd. ('Christie's Tokyo Office'), which holds them on behalf of Christie Manson & Woods Ltd in London. Buyers should be aware that the regulations relating to 'Important Art Objects' currently apply to both public and private owners, and impose a number of requirements including the following two specific requirements. However, the regulations do not restrict the acquisition or transfer of ownership itself. (i) 'Important Art Objects' may not be exported from Japan; and (ii) a new owner of an 'Important Art Object' must register his acquisition of ownership of such property with the Cultural Agency of the Ministry of Education of the Japanese Government ('Cultural Agency') within 14 days of acquisition in accordance with the provisions set forth in the relevant laws and the instructions of the Cultural Agency. This information is provided by way of general reference information and buyers are responsible for inquiring into the relevant regulations and satisfying themselves in relation to the nature and effect of Japan's regulations relating to 'Important Art Objects'. Prospective buyers of Lots 1, 2, 4, 8, 44, 45 and 46 should therefore be aware that as 'Important Art Objects' these Lots cannot, as matters presently stand, leave Japan. Successful buyers are themselves responsible for registering their acquisition of the Lots with the Cultural Agency within 14 days of the date of the sale. The seven Lots referred to above are subject to Japanese consumption tax at 5 on the hammer price and are zero rated for United Kingdom VAT. Because these Lots are designated as 'Important Art Objects' and cannot be exported from Japan in the course of this sale, they will be available for collection by successful buyers from Christie's Tokyo Office at: Christie's Japan Limited Sankyo Ginza Bldg.4F 6-5-13 Ginza Chuo-ku Tokyo 104-0061 Japan Tel: 81 (0)3 3571 0668 upon payment in full to Christie's in London. Christie's Tokyo Office holds these Lots on behalf of Christie's London. Payment cannot be received by Christie's Tokyo Office under any circumstances. Upon Christie's Tokyo Office's receipt of notification from Christie's in London that all payment due has been received, purchasers will be notified that their Lots are ready for collection.

A BIZEN TACHI REGISTERED AS A JUYO BIJUTSUHIN [IMPORTANT ART OBJECT]

SIGNED NAGAMITSU, KAMAKURA PERIOD (LATE 13TH CENTURY)

Details

A BIZEN TACHI
REGISTERED AS A JUYO BIJUTSUHIN [IMPORTANT ART OBJECT]
Signed Nagamitsu, Kamakura Period (Late 13th Century)
Sugata [configuration]: shinogi-zukuri [longitudinal ridge], ko-kissaki [small point], iori-mune [shallow peaked back]

Kitae [forging pattern]: koitame [fine wood grain] with fine jinie [hard metal granules over the surface of the blade] and midare utsuri [reflections of the irregular tempering pattern]

Hamon [tempering pattern]: suguha [straight line] with choji-midare [irregular pattern of clove outline] and gunome [small pointed curves], accentuated by ashi [lines projecting into the hardened edge] and yo [detached crystalline areas in the hardened edge]

Boshi [tip]: komaru [gently turned-back temper line] with midare [irregularities]

Nakago [tang]: ubu [unaltered] with shallow katte sagari yasurime [diagonal file marks sloping towards the back of the tang], two mekugi-ana [holes for retaining pegs], the lower mekugi-ana partially blocked by a copper plug, kurijiri [rounded heel], signed just below the upper mekugi-ana to the left of the ridge Nagamitsu

Fitted with a two-tier gold and silver habaki [collar]

Inner box of kiri [paulownia] wood; outer box lacquered in Shunkei-nuri [translucent brown lacquer]

Shirasaya [plain wood scabbard] with inscription by Honma Kunzan

Gold-lacquered tachi koshirae [set of mounts] comprising: gold nashiji ['pearskin' lacquer] saya [scabbard] with aoi-mon [hollyhock crests] of the Tokugawa family in gold hiramaki- e [low-relief lacquer]; tsuka [hilt] covered in white rayskin and wrapped in purple silk forming a lozenge pattern, with two gold menuki [hilt decorations] each in the form of three conjoined aoi-mon; shakudo nanako [copper-gold alloy worked with a granulated ground] kabutogane [fitting at the end of the hilt], fuchi [hilt collar], semegane [scabbard fittings] and ishizuki [scabbard butt] worked in relief iroe [soft-metal decoration] with aoi-mon; gold nashiji koikuchi [scabbard mouth]; shakudo nanako tsuba [hand guard] with a gilt rim, in the form of an aoi-mon, diameter 3 3/16in. (8.1cm.), with hanging tapes of white silk and gold brocade woven with an ichimatsu [check] ground and blue leather straps with shakudo nanako fittings, also with the aoi-mon, Edo period (17th/19th century)
Overall length of blade: 39in. (99cm.) Nagasa [length from tip to beginning of tang]: 30 9/16in. (77.6cm.) Sori [curvature]: 3/4in. (1.9cm.)
Motohaba [width at start of tempered edge]: 2 3/16in. (3cm.)
Sakihaba [width before tip]: 11/16in. (1.8cm.) (2)

Provenance

Formerly in the possession of the Date family of daimyo [feudal lords] in Sendai; presented by the shogun Tokugawa Hidetada to Date Tadamune in the twelfth month of 1617 on the occasion of the latter's marriage to the shogun's adopted daughter. Hidetada's Buddhist name was Daitokuin and as a consequence this blade too is sometimes known as Daitokuin; see Murakami Kosuke, Showa token meibutsu cho [An album of celebrated swords appraised during the Showa period] (Tokyo, Yuzankaku, 1979), p. 188

Literature

Honma Junji and Hiroi Yuichi, Nihonto juyo bijutsuhin zenshu [A complete collection of Japanese swords registered as Important Art Objects], vol. 5, (Tokyo, Seishosha, 1986), cat. no. 601
Manno Art Museum, Manno korekushon senshu [Selected Masterpieces of the Manno Collection] (Osaka, Manno Kinen Bunka Zaidan, 1988), cat. no 181
Honma Junji, Kanto hibi sho zoku (Tokyo, Otsuka Kogeisha, 1979),pp. 365-6
Murakami Kosuke, Showa token meibutsu cho (Tokyo,Yuzankaku, 1979), p. 188
Fujishiro Yoshio and Fujishiro Matsuo, Nihon toko jiten: Koto hen (Tokyo, Kohansha, 1992),p.236

Exhibited

With original certificate of registration as a Juyo bijutsuhin [Important Art Object] on 27 May 1937

Special notice

Prospective buyers of this lot should be aware that as an 'Important Art Object' this Lot cannot, as matters presently stand, leave Japan. Successful buyers are themselves responsible for registering their acquisition of the lot with the Cultural Agency of the Ministry of Education of the Japanese Government within 14 days of the date of the sale. This lot is subject to Japanese consumption tax at 5% on the hammer price and is zero rated for United Kingdom VAT.

Further details

Prospective buyers of this Lot should be aware that as an 'Important Art Object' this Lot cannot, as matters presently stand, leave Japan. Successful buyers are themselves responsible for registering their acquisition of the Lot with the the Cultural Agency of the Ministry of Education of the Japanese Government within 14 days of the date of the sale. This Lot is subject to Japanese consumption tax at 5 on the hammer price and is zero rated for United Kingdom VAT

Lot Essay

Nagamitsu is widely considered one of the most important of the swordsmiths active in Bizen province during the Kamakura period. The son of Mitsutada, founder of the very long-lived Bizen Osafune line, he took over as second master of the workshop and was at least his father's equal in point of technical skill. His work, which ranges in date from 1274 to 1305, exhibits several distinctive Bizen features including the elaborately articulated hamon [tempering pattern] which is most typically a combination of several types including gunome and midare [irregular] with frequent changes of width. Two types of Nagamitsu signature are known, the simpler with just two characters as here and the other with the addition of the honorary title Sakon no shogen (also used by Kageyori of Bizen, see lot 3) which normally appears on blades with a quieter, less ostentatious hamon and is thought to be a hallmark of Nagamitsu's later work.

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