34 - KOMAI OTOJIRO: A MAGNIFICENT AND LARGE (45 CM) GOLD AND SILVER-INLAID IRON CHARGER

KOMAI OTOJIRO: A MAGNIFICENT AND LARGE (45 CM) GOLD AND SILVER-INLAID IRON CHARGER By Komai Otojiro of Kyoto, signed Nihon koku Kyoto ju Komai sei Japan, Kyoto, late 19th century, Meiji period (1868-1912) The large shallow dish with foliate rim supported on a circular foot, its entire surface worked with an extraordinary density of damascened gold and silver. The central composition is boldly modeled in takabori with an elderly Buddhist figure seated cross-legged and holding an inscribed scroll, accompanied by a rakan who leans animatedly toward him and two oni rendered in lively, expressive poses. Surrounding the central group is an exceptionally elaborate arrangement of architectural, figural, and landscape reserves interspersed with a dazzling variety of geometric and floral patterns. The finely worked vignettes include a hunter approaching a deer, a farmer hurrying toward a shrine for shelter from a storm, an elderly man catching fish with his bare hands, an immortal arriving upon a cloud, and a child dancing joyfully before two seated figures, with a den-den daiko drum at his feet. Each miniature scene is executed with remarkable precision, despite occupying only a fraction of the surface. Particularly striking is the broad border conceived as sumptuous lengths of brocade draped and folded around the rim. Each overlapping section is individually decorated in gold nunomezogan with a different textile pattern, including shippo, hanabishi, key-fret, floral, diaper, and geometric designs. The alternating folds, densely patterned reserves, and contrasting relief figures create the impression of costly textiles layered across the dark iron ground. The base with the signature in applied silver Nihon koku Kyoto ju KOMAI sei [made by Komai of Kyoto, Japan]. The reverse fitted with an applied bracket for wall mounting. Inscriptions: The scroll inscribed 鍾馗出罪能鬼導佛悪人為能善人, referring to Shoki's power to save from sin and guide evil spirits toward the Buddha, transforming the wicked into the virtuous. DIAMETER 45 cm WEIGHT 3.1 kg Provenance: From a noted private collection in Munich, Germany. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear, mostly to the rim around the brackets, and light tarnishing to the silver. Founded in 1841, the Komai workshop became one of the most celebrated metalworking enterprises of Meiji-period Kyoto after Komai Otojiro I assumed its leadership in 1865. The workshop specialized in extraordinarily intricate gold and silver inlay on iron, adapting techniques rooted in the manufacture and decoration of sword fittings to the new field of luxury decorative art. Its characteristic dark iron grounds provided a dramatic contrast for minute gold and silver nunomezogan, hirazogan, and takazogan, allowing extraordinarily complex pictorial and ornamental compositions to be executed on a remarkably small scale. In a promotional brochure published around 1915, Komai Otojiro II described the company as the “pioneer of damascene work.” At 45 cm in diameter, the charger belongs to the most ambitious large-scale works produced by Komai. Its exceptional scale allowed the artist to combine monumental figural relief with an almost microscopic level of detail, uniting narrative scenes, architecture, landscape, and dozens of distinct textile patterns within a single coherent composition. Literature comparison: Compare a related large charger depicting Nitta no Yoshisada, by the Komai Company, dated c. 1880, 49.3 cm diameter, in the Nasser D. Khalili Collection, illustrated in Oliver Impey and Malcolm Fairley eds., Meiji no Takara: Treasures of Imperial Japan, The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Japanese Art, Metalwork Part I, London, 1995, cat. no. 17. Several further large chargers by Komai and related workshops are illustrated in the same publication, cat. nos. 14-19, 21, and 23. Auction comparisons: Compare a related large overlaid iron charger by Komai Otojiro, signed Kyoto no ju Komai sei, dated 1886 or later, 44.5 cm diameter, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese & Korean Art, 16 September 2026, New York, lot 972 (sold for USD 95,750 or approx. EUR 85,500 converted at the time of writing). Compare a closely related large gold and silver-inlaid iron dish by the Komai Company, signed Kyoto ju Komai sei, dated late 19th century, 43.2 cm diameter, at Christie’s, Japanese Art: Meiji Period Magnificence, 24 June 2014, New York, lot 24 (sold for USD 56,250 or approx. EUR 70,700 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).