133 - Ɏ YAMAZAKI NANKAI: A SUPERB, LARGE AND RARE FULLY ARTICULATED IVORY AND BONE JIZAI OKIMONO OF A SPINY LOBSTER (ISE-EBI)

Ɏ YAMAZAKI NANKAI: A SUPERB, LARGE AND RARE FULLY ARTICULATED IVORY AND BONE JIZAI OKIMONO OF A SPINY LOBSTER (ISE-EBI) By Yamazaki Nankai (active c. 1900-1920), signed Nankai Japan, Tokyo, Meiji (1868-1912) to Taisho period (1912-1926) Superbly and naturalistically carved from ivory and bone, the spiny lobster (ise-ebi) ingeniously constructed from numerous individually carved components joined to permit lifelike movement throughout. The crustacean is rendered with long articulated antennae, ten finely jointed legs, movable mouthparts, a segmented abdomen, and a broad fan-shaped tail, the surface meticulously worked with the characteristic spines, ridges, and textures of the natural shell. The eyes are inlaid in stained bone. The complex articulation allows the body and appendages to be arranged with remarkable naturalism, while the movement of the numerous joined segments produces a characteristic dry sound evocative of a crustacean crawling across the seabed. Signed to the underside on an oval red-lacquer plaque NANKAI. LENGTH 49 cm (incl. extended antennae) Condition: Excellent, complete condition. Some articulated segments are more rigid than others, and several appear to have been reattached, with traces of adhesive, as is commonly encountered in complex articulated works of this type. Yamazaki Nankai was one of the foremost specialists in articulated ivory carving of the late Meiji and Taisho periods, and his extraordinary models of spiny lobsters rank among the most distinctive manifestations of the jizai okimono tradition in a non-metallic medium. Jizai okimono had developed principally from the sophisticated metalworking traditions of Edo-period armorers, particularly the Myochin school, whose articulated animals were constructed to reproduce both the appearance and movement of living creatures. Nankai translated this tradition into ivory with astonishing technical precision, assembling numerous separately carved elements into sculptures combining mechanical ingenuity with exceptionally convincing naturalism. Nankai is generally identified with the artist of the same name recorded by Wakayama Takeshi in the Toso Kinko Jiten as a pupil of Unno Shomin (1844-1915), an attribution also recorded by Robert Haynes (H 06583.0). Shomin, himself a pupil and successor to the great Kano Natsuo, was appointed Imperial Artist in 1896 and became one of the leading authorities on metal carving in Meiji Japan. The association places Nankai within one of the most prestigious artistic lineages of the period and helps explain the extraordinary technical sophistication evident in his articulated works. Nankai's standing among the leading ivory artists of his generation is further underlined by his association with Sakurai Sosai, the important Tokyo commissioner and dealer in fine ivory carvings who represented a select group of leading artists, including Nankai and Ando Rokuzan. His articulated lobsters are today preserved in important Japanese museum collections, including the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, and the Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum, testifying to the exceptional quality and significance of his work. Museum comparisons: Compare a closely related articulated ivory okimono of a spiny lobster by Yamazaki Nankai, dated Meiji to Taisho period, 36 cm long, in the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, collection no. Ot0427.Compare a closely related articulated ivory carving of a spiny lobster by Yamazaki Nankai, 42 cm long, in the Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum, Kyoto, exhibited in 2008 and illustrated in the accompanying exhibition catalog, Exquisitely Crafted Ivory and Wood Carving of the Meiji Period, no. 20. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related fully articulated ivory okimono of a lobster, dated Meiji period, unsigned, 41 cm long, at Sotheby’s, The Connoisseur’s Collection, including the Estate of the Late Edwina Baillieu, 26 May 2009, Melbourne, lot 218 (sold for AUD 20,400 or approx. EUR 20,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.