Signed Zohiko, Meiji period (late 19th century)

Details

A Pair of Lacquer Sake Cup Stands
Signed Zohiko, Meiji period (late 19th century)
Each stand of square shape with a slightly raised rim with indented corners, raised on four bracket feet, containing a removable tray pierced to accommodate the raised foot of a shallow sake cup, decorated overall in gold hiramaki-e, takamaki-e, gold foil and kinpun on a black ground, the detachable tray depicting plum blossom beside a cascading stream, the central medallion depicting a pair of mandarin ducks on a nashiji ground, the sides with a band of shippo-hanabishi, the underside in a sparse nashiji, silver rims
Each 7cm. high, 10.5cm. square

Special notice

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Lot Essay

The Zohiko lineage dates from the time of the Kyoto lacquer craftsman Nishimura Munetada (1720-1773), who acquired the nickname “elephant boy” (Zohiko) for his lacquer image of the deity Fugen (Samantabhadra) on an elephant mount. This stand is possibly from the workshop in the periods of the seventh-generation Nishimura Hikobei. His nephew, the eighth generation, received the gold medal for his work at the Panama Pacific International Exposition of 1915.

Similar examples sold in Christie’s New York on March 19, 1997, lot 208 and in London on May 18, 2012, lot 180.

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