Japanese Works of Art

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One of the highlights of this Japanese sale is the exceptional Edo period lacquer cabinet made for the Dutch market, depicting the artificial island of Dejima and a procession including the VOC chief merchant (the Opperhoof) on his way to see the Shogun in Edo (Tokyo). This exceptional piece of furniture dates from c.1680 and was probably made as a special commission for Dutch nobility or a high-ranking official serving in the Dutch East India Company. There will also be a good selection of ukiyo-e woodblock prints, including a triptych by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) depicting the Ghosts of the Taira clan attacking Minamoto no Yoshitsune in Daimotsu Bay, and an extensive landscape panorama by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) of the Eight Views of Kanazawa at night. The section of the sale dedicated to metal works of art features some high-quality bronzes and mixed metal okimono, including an exceptionally large model of a cockerel by Genryusai Seiya, and paradise flycatchers perched on a flowering branch of paulownia by Koyama Yukimitsu. A rare and early porcelain incense burner shaped as a large elephant will also be offered for sale, together with good examples of Ko-Kutani and Kakiemon porcelain. The auction will end with about sixty sagemono and netsuke, including a range of good-quality lacquer inros and other pieces from private collections.