63 - FUJIKI HISATSUNE: A VERY RARE SHAKUDO NANAKO ‘HORSE AND MALACHITE-INLAID ROCK’ TSUBA

FUJIKI HISATSUNE: A VERY RARE SHAKUDO NANAKO ‘HORSE AND MALACHITE-INLAID ROCK’ TSUBA By Fujiki Hisatsune, signed Hisatsune with kakihan Japan, Kaga Province, Kanazawa, c. 1800, Edo period (1615-1868) Of nademarugata form, with one kogai and kozuka hitsu ana, the kogai hitsu ana plugged in gold, the shakudo nanako ground finely inlaid in gold and iro-e takazogan to depict an untethered horse with ornate saddle cloth and reins, the reverse inlaid with a malachite and gold rock flanked by leafy branches. Signed HISATSUNE with kakihan. HEIGHT 7 cm, WIDTH 6.5 cm HEIGHT 2.9 cm (nakago-ana) THICKNESS 0.5 cm (seppa-dai) WEIGHT 123.3 g Provenance: Sotheby’s London, 9 November 2006, lot 906, sold for GBP 3,600 or approx. EUR 7,400 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). From the private collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, New York, acquired from the above. The inner rim of the seppa-dai lacquered with the number ‘3’. Alan Hartman (1930-2023) was an influential American art dealer, who took over his parents’ antique business in Manhattan and established the legendary Rare Art Gallery on Madison Avenue, with further locations in Dallas and Palm Beach. His wife Simone (née Horowitz) already served as assistant manager of the New York gallery before the couple were married in 1975, and together they built a renowned collection for over half a century and became noted art patrons, enriching the collections of important museums including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (which opened the Alan and Simone Hartman Galleries in 2013) as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Brooklyn Museum in New York. Notably, they assembled an impressive collection of Japanese art, focusing on fine netsuke, inro, and lacquer. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear. Hisatsune is listed in Haynes Index of Japanese Sword Fittings and Associated Artists on p. 312 (H 01545.0). Haynes identifies the artist as the student of Chizuka Hisanori. Malachite is an uncommon material used for inlays on tsuba, making examples incorporating the vivid green stone particularly noteworthy. While tsuba makers employed a wide range of metals and inlay materials, malachite was comparatively rarely used, likely owing to its softness and relative fragility. Where employed, its intense green coloration provides a striking contrast to the dark patinated surfaces of iron or copper-alloy guards. Museum comparison: Compare a related shibuichi tsuba with malachite and carnelian inlays, dated 19 th century, in the Ashmolean Museum, accession number EAX.11227.