A SHIBAYAMA-STYLE BOX AND COVER MODELLED AS A BIJIN SEATED ON A CAPARISONED ELEPHANT

SIGNED, MEIJI PERIOD (19TH CENTURY)

Details

A SHIBAYAMA-STYLE BOX AND COVER MODELLED AS A BIJIN SEATED ON A CAPARISONED ELEPHANT
Signed, Meiji Period (19th Century)
The elephant bejewelled in ivory and various coloured inlays on a rich kinji ground with the headdress and strapwork in silver, the saddlecloth decorated with ho-o birds facing each other in gold hiramakie, nashiji, gyobu and kirikane on a red ground with an outline in aogai, the cover modelled as a seated bijin similarly decorated, gently holding an ivory and silver fan in front of her chest, her right knee raised while her leg hangs along the saddlecloth, her kimono decorated with peacocks in flight, wisteria and chrysanthemums, some old wear
8.5/8in. (22cm.) long

Sale room notice

Please note the estimate for this lot is £24,000-28,000 and not £20,000-30,000 as stated in the catalogue and that it is signed Komin.

Lot Essay

The elephant and rider, sometimes mistakenly identified as the bodhisattva Fugen but in reality more often a female figure inspired by the designs of Utamaro and other ukiyoe artists, is a common subject in later Shibayama work. The Khalili collection includes a very similar example with a slightly different rider [see 1 below].

1 Impey, Oliver and Fairley, Malcolm [eds.], The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Japanese Art, (London, 1995), vol. 4, pt. 2, cat. no. 177, signed Koichi.

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