18 - KASHUNDO: A SUPERB MIXED METAL ‘TURTLE VIEWING AUTUMN MOON’ DISH

KASHUNDO: A SUPERB MIXED METAL ‘TURTLE VIEWING AUTUMN MOON’ DISH By Kashundo Sadamasa, sealed Kashundo saku Japan, c. 1900, Meiji period (1868-1912) Finely worked in shallow, square form with canted corners, the broad, hammered copper ground centered by a circular, gently recessed silvered well, conceived as a luminous full moon and subtly enlivened by irregular gilt splashes suggestive of drifting clouds. The moonlit surface is crossed by slender autumn grasses, while the broad border is embellished with a flowering bush-clover (hagi) spray, all rendered in a masterly combination of shakudo and shibuichi in low relief. One corner is further adorned with a small naturalistically modeled turtle advancing through swirling ripples of water in shibuichi. The underside with a square seal reading KASHUNDO saku [made by Kashundo]. SIZE 20.4 x 20.4 cm WEIGHT 715 g 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: Very good condition with minor wear, rubbing to gilt and surface scratches underneath. The present dish is remarkable for the poetic sophistication of its design. Its recessed silvered center is ingeniously transformed into a radiant autumn moon, while soft gilt splashes evoke passing clouds and lend the composition an unusually atmospheric quality. Against this moonlit ground appear autumn grasses and flowering hagi, both motifs long associated with the season in Japanese art, poetry, and decorative design. At the lower corner, a small turtle emerges amid rippling water. This auspicious creature, cherished in Japan as a symbol of longevity, steadfastness, and good fortune, introduces a felicitous dimension to the composition. The juxtaposition of the moon, autumn plants, and turtle creates an image that is at once lyrical and celebratory, combining seasonal beauty with an allusion to long life and enduring happiness.