148 - A FINE NEGORO LACQUER YAKKI (MEDICINE VESSEL) FROM THE MANPUKU-JI TEMPLE

A FINE NEGORO LACQUER YAKKI (MEDICINE VESSEL) FROM THE MANPUKU-JI TEMPLE Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely turned, the compact vessel resting on a recessed ring foot, the rounded, globular body with gently swelling sides rising to a broad shoulder and short neck. The inrobuta (flush-fitting) cover with a subtly stepped rim, surmounted by a circular knop. The exterior covered in lustrous vermilion-red lacquer over a black lacquer ground, the red surface attractively worn through in places, particularly around the shoulder and along the lower body, revealing the dark lacquer beneath and creating a richly variegated patina. HEIGHT 8 cm, DIAMETER 8 cm Provenance: From the collection of Manpuku-ji Temple, according to the inscription on the accompanying storage box. Lesley Kehoe Galleries, Melbourne, Australia, 1988. From the collection of Eva & Aubrey Sweet, Melbourne, Australia, acquired from the above. Dore & Rees, 11 November 2025, lot 202 (sold for GBP 3,000 or approx. EUR 3,700 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). From a Swiss private collection, acquired from the above. A copy of the original valuation from Lesley Kehoe Galleries, dated 10 March 1988, valuing the vessel at USD 15,000 (or approx. EUR 28,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), and documenting its presence in the Sweet collection, accompanies the lot. Eva and Aubrey Sweet devoted over six decades to the formation of a distinguished private collection of Asian art, with particular strength in Chinese jade, Japanese lacquer, and netsuke. Their collecting began in the 1950s and was refined through sustained travel, scholarship, and long associations with leading dealers, curators, and artists internationally. Aubrey, a Melbourne physician who also studied acupuncture in Beijing, and Eva developed a discerning connoisseurship that balanced intuitive appreciation with systematic study, supported by an extensive reference library and active participation in scholarly circles. They acquired works of historic importance as well as contemporary pieces by artists such as Susan Wraight and Unryuan (Kitamura Tatsuo), demonstrating a commitment both to tradition and to the continuity of craft. The collection, housed in their Melbourne residence and affectionately referred to by the family as “the Museum,” stands as a testament to their lifelong dedication to the aesthetic and cultural values of Asian art. Condition: Excellent condition. With a silk brocade pouch and a wood tomobako (storage box) inscribed Negoro yakki, Manpuku-ji zo, 根来薬器 萬福寺蔵, [Negoro lacquer medicine vessel from the collection of Manpuku-ji Temple]. The accompanying storage box records the vessel as formerly belonging to Manpuku-ji Temple. The celebrated Manpuku-ji in Uji, Kyoto, was founded in 1661 by the Chinese Zen master Ingen Ryuki (1592-1673) and became the head temple of the Obaku school of Zen Buddhism. Traditionally used to store medicinal preparations, Negoro lacquer yakki were later also prized as tea utensils, admired for their restrained forms and naturally acquired patina. Museum comparison: Compare a closely related Negoro red-lacquer yakko (medicine jar), dated to the 16th-17th century, measuring 7.3 cm in height and 9.4 cm in diameter, in the collection of the Izumi City Kubo So Memorial Museum of Art, Osaka.