156 - UNRYUAN: A MASTERFUL KORIN AND ZESHIN-STYLE LACQUER INRO-DANSU (STORAGE BOX FOR INRO)

UNRYUAN: A MASTERFUL KORIN AND ZESHIN-STYLE LACQUER INRO-DANSU (STORAGE BOX FOR INRO) By Kitamura Tatsuo (Unryuan, born 1952), signed Unryuan with kakihan Japan, late 20 th century, Heisei period (1989-2019) A technical tour de force of traditional lacquer craftsmanship, the rectangular cabinet is raised on a scalloped bracket base and fitted with two hinged doors opening to reveal five drawers, the lower drawers with fitted compartments for the storage of inro. The partially textured red-lacquer ground is lavishly decorated in gold maki-e and embellished with a sophisticated combination of aogai (mother-of-pearl), pewter, and other materials. The exterior is conceived as an arrangement of overlapping fans, each forming an independent pictorial field. Most prominent is the Uji River Bridge with jakago (gabions), rendered in luminous aogai and pewter against a kinji ground in a refined neo-Rinpa manner; other fans depict plum blossoms beneath the moon, trailing vines, and further natural motifs. The five drawer fronts are individually decorated with rinzu-inspired and brocade patterns, including waves, sayagata, and hanabishi, and fitted with silver loop handles on chrysanthemum-form bosses. The inner faces of the doors are each applied with a simulated tsuba (sword hand guard), masterfully imitating patinated metal and decorated with shishi (Chinese mythical lions) and a waterfall. The silver fittings are finely chased with karakusa and foliage against a stippled ground, further with silver handles to the sides. Signed to one fan to the side UNRYUAN with kakihan. SIZE 36.2 x 22.8 x 28.6 cm Condition: Excellent condition with only very minor wear. With a lacquered wood tomobako (storage box) inscribed Inro makie, Inro Tansu, 印籠蒔絵、印籠箪笥, [Inro makie lacquer, a cabinet for inro items]. Unryuan (Kitamura Tatsuo, b. 1952) is regarded as one of the foremost contemporary Japanese lacquer artists working in the classical tradition. Born in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, one of Japan’s principal centers of lacquer production, he began a long apprenticeship at an early age and acquired a thorough grounding in the traditional techniques of lacquer manufacture and decoration. Over time, he developed an increasingly deep commitment to classical forms and methods, combining exceptional technical precision with an extraordinary delicacy of execution and minute attention to detail. In 1985, he established his own independent studio. His art name, Unryuan, literally ’Cloud-Dragon Retreat,’ reflects both his birth in the Year of the Dragon and the independent identity of his workshop. His work has been widely exhibited internationally and is held in major museum and private collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The V&A devoted an exhibition to his work, Unryuan: Master of Traditional Japanese Lacquer Ware, held in the Toshiba Gallery of Art from 30 October 2002 to 6 February 2003. The present cabinet is a true masterpiece, bringing together several sophisticated strands of Japanese lacquer tradition within a single composition. Particularly striking are the simulated tsuba applied to the inner faces of the doors. Their convincingly metallic appearance recalls the extraordinary material imitations perfected by Shibata Zeshin (1807-1891), as well as Zeshin’s own celebrated sagedansu decorated with sword fittings ( fig. 1). Sawaguchi Goichi records in his seminal Nihon shikko no kenkyu (1933) that such lacquer imitations could be produced using negative plaster molds, into which successive layers of lacquer were built up in reverse before being released and applied to the object. This ingenious technique produced remarkably lifelike simulations of metalwork and may also explain the recurrence of identical motifs across different works. Unryuan’s revival of this demanding trompe-l’oeil tradition reflects his profound engagement with the technical achievements of earlier lacquer masters. Auction comparison: Compare a related table with sword fittings and inro by the same artist, signed Unryuan and kakihan, dated 20th century, 25.5 x 54.8 x 32.3 cm, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 16 May 2013, London, lot 394 (sold for GBP 49,250 or approx. EUR 85,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Due to length restriction on Drouot this entry is shortened. For full description please visit www.zacke.at.