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LACQUER TRAYS

Various Properties
Lot 436*

A lacquer square hirobuta (tray)
Style of Honami Koetsu, 17th century

7 November 2013, 10:30 GMT
London, New Bond Street

£1,000 - £1,500

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A lacquer square hirobuta (tray)

Style of Honami Koetsu, 17th century
Decorated in gold and black takamakie with a broad dark band inlaid in pewter, arching over boats tethered to form a bridge amid waves, with a waka poem inscribed in chirashi-gaki (scattered writing) arranged over the design, with the character for hashi (bridge) omitted, and the image filling in the missing word, unsigned; with wood storage box. 3cm x 27.5cm x 27.5cm (1 1/8in x 10¾in x 10¾in). (2).

Footnotes

The waka poem inscribed on the tray is by the courtier and poet Minamoto no Hitoshi (880-951) and comes from Gosen Wakashu (Later Collection of Japanese Poems), the second Imperial anthology, commissioned in 951 at the behest of Emperor Murakami.

東路の / 佐野の(船橋) / かけてのみ / 思ひ渡るを / 知る人のなき

Azumaji no / Sano no (funabashi) / kakete nomi / omoiwataru o / shiru hito no naki

The long bridges between ships in Sano on the road to the East remind me of the love which bridges the gulf between us but you have not noticed my love at all.

This bold use of lead was pioneered by Honami Koetsu (1558-1637) and much imitated in later times. This tray emulates the Funabashi makie suzuribako (Pontoon Bridge Writing Box) by the artist which has an almost identical design and poem and is in the collection of The Tokyo National Museum, designated as a National Treasure.

Additional information

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