157 - UNRYUAN: A MASTERFUL CONTEMPORARY IRO-E TOGIDASHI-E ‘DANCERS’ SUZURIBAKO (WRITING BOX)

UNRYUAN: A MASTERFUL CONTEMPORARY IRO-E TOGIDASHI-E ‘DANCERS’ SUZURIBAKO (WRITING BOX) By Kitamura Tatsuo (Unryuan, born 1952), signed Unryuan with kakihan Japan, late 20th century, Heisei period (1989-2019) Of rectangular form with distinctive stepped corners and finely mounted with silver rims, bearing a shimmering gold and silver ground masterfully decorated in iro-e togidashi-e and embellished with kirigane. The flush-fitting inrobuta cover depicts an elegant female dancer in richly patterned robes decorated with ho-o (phoenix) motifs, gracefully holding an open fan amid drifting clouds of gold and silver. The underside of the cover is similarly decorated with a second female dancer holding a fan, while the fitted interior depicts a third dancer beside the writing implements, comprising a large suzuri (inkstone) and a finely worked silver suiteki (water dropper) in the form of a clam shell. The brilliant silver mounts and suiteki provide a striking contrast to the warm gold lacquer and richly colored robes. Signed UNRYUAN with kakihan. SIZE 20.2 x 15.1 x 3 cm Condition: Excellent condition. With two wood tomobako (storage boxes), one inscribed Buyo maki-e suzuribako, 舞踊蒔絵 硯箱 [Dance-design maki-e writing box]. 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 traditional lacquer techniques. In 1985, he established his own independent studio. Combining exceptional technical precision with an extraordinary delicacy of execution, Unryuan has gained international recognition, and his works are 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 from 30 October 2002 to 6 February 2003. The present writing box is a superb demonstration of Unryuan’s mastery of togidashi-e and his extraordinary attention to detail. The decoration unfolds as the box is opened, revealing three dancers in progressively different poses and richly patterned costumes. Particularly striking is the interplay between the softly modulated gold and silver ground, the minute colored lacquer decoration, the crisp silver-mounted rims, and the sculptural shell-form suiteki. The restrained form of the box provides an elegant setting for an exceptionally refined and technically accomplished pictorial composition. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related iro-e togidashi-e lacquer suzuribako (writing box) depicting the Hokoku Festival by the same artist, similarly decorated with dancing figures and fitted with an inkstone and shell-form water dropper, signed Unryuan, 16.5 cm long, at Christie’s, Asobi: Ingenious Creativity, Japanese Works of Art from Antiquity to Contemporary and Ceramics from the Collection of Bernard Leach, 15 October 2013, London, lot 91 (sold for GBP 11,250 or approx. EUR 19,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).