13 - A FINE SILVERED BRONZE OKIMONO OF A HAWK ON A TREE TRUNK

A FINE SILVERED BRONZE OKIMONO OF A HAWK ON A TREE TRUNK Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912) Naturalistically cast as a powerful hawk crouching upon a gnarled tree trunk, its body lowered and wings partly spread as though preparing to launch itself into flight. The head is thrust forward with an intense, penetrating gaze, the hooked beak and strongly modeled features conveying the alertness of a bird of prey. The plumage is superbly worked with dense overlapping feathers of varying length and texture, particularly finely chased along the breast, wings, and sweeping tail. The eyes are picked out in gold, while the feet and formidable curved talons are rendered in contrasting bronze. The bird is mounted on a dramatically contorted rootwood stand, its twisting hollows, knots, and weathered projections forming a striking naturalistic setting. Particularly distinctive is a long, sinuous root extending from one side, its serpentine form strongly suggestive of a snake. Whether deliberately fashioned or selected for this resemblance, the feature adds a subtle predatory tension to the composition, evoking the hawk surveying its potential prey from above. HEIGHT 33 cm (incl. stand), LENGTH 25.1 cm (excl. stand) WEIGHT 3,637 g (incl. stand), 1,992 g (excl. stand) Provenance: Flying Cranes Antiques, New York, United States. Collection of Eduardo Cohen, acquired from the above upon the closure of the gallery in 2017. Flying Cranes Antiques was founded by Jean and Clifford Schaefer and became a leading New York specialist in Japanese Meiji-period art, particularly metalwork, cloisonné, ceramics, lacquer, and carvings. Over more than four decades, the gallery placed important works in major private and museum collections internationally. Significantly, Flying Cranes still retained a substantial collection of fine Meiji works when it closed in 2017. In her farewell, Jean Schaefer recorded that the gallery’s collections had passed to a purchaser. The present piece formed part of this final gallery collection and was acquired by Eduardo Cohen at the time of its closure. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and light rubbing. The separately modeled legs have been reattached. Auction comparison: Compare a related silvered bronze model of an eagle by Masatsune, dated late 19th to early 20th century, 71.5 cm tall, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 5 November 2020, London, lot 288 (sold for GBP 11,312 or approx. EUR 17,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Compare a closely related silver-plated model of a hawk, signed Masatsune chu, similarly perched on a twisted tree stump with the beak, eyes, and feet finished in gilt and a separately cast gilt-bronze tree-stump stand, dated late 19th century, 42.6 cm high, at Christie’s, The di Portanova Collection, 20 October 2000, New York, lot 189 (sold for USD 10,575 or approx. EUR 18,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).