A bronze incense burner

MEIJI PERIOD (LATE 19TH CENTURY), SIGNED ICHIJOKEN JOUN (OSHIMA JOUN; 1858-1940) WITH CURSIVE MONOGRAM (KAO)

Details

A bronze incense burner
Meiji period (late 19th century), signed Ichijoken Joun (Oshima Joun; 1858-1940) with cursive monogram (kao)
Of bulbous form with short everted neck and two handles, the cover with Momotaro and a monkey, the body decorated with panels formed as beast masks, on one side with demons beneath a maple tree, and on the opposite side with an elderly couple beneath a blossoming cherry tree, the body set on a columnar section held by four standing demons, all supported by a footed base, signature on underside of the middle section

33in. (83.8cm.) high

Lot Essay

In Japanese mythology, Momotaro is a boy born from a peach and raised by an elderly couple. When he grew up, he set off for the island of demons to exterminate the demons that often bothered the local villages. En route, he made companions of a monkey, a dog and a pheasant to support him against the demons. Beating away the demons, he returned to his village with lots of treasures taken from the island.

Oshima Joun was born in Edo and learned lost-wax casting under his father. In 1881, he exhibited his collaborative work with Takamura Koun (1852-1934) at Dainikai Naikoku Kangyo Hakurankai (The second National Industrial Exposition). He gained a post at the Tokyo Art School of Fine Arts in 1892.

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