Footnotes

• 古墨意匠鏡漆塗鍔　龍　銘「觀（方印）」　18世紀前期
  
  The two-line Chinese characters inscription tanscribes:
  
  （十戴辛勤）變化魚龍地
  （一生期許）飛翔鸞鳳天
  
  It is a truncated version of the whole text - as indicated within the brackets above - written on the two outer pillars of the imposing entrance of the Jiangnan Gongyuan (Jiangnan Examination Institute) in the city of Nanjing. First founded in 1168, it represents China's best preserved historical site for Keju - an ancient and rigorous examination held by the Imperial Court to uncover talent to fulfill governmental roles. Haritsu has not only deliberately omitted some of the text but his choice of Chinese motifs for the tsuba most certainly represented his own intellectual and aesthetic interests as well as his reverence for Chinese culture, learning and philosophy.

Auction Notices

• Please note that the estimates are £4000-6000 and not as published in the catalogue.

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Category: Asian Art / Japanese Art

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