144 - TANABE CHIKUUNSAI II: A BAMBOO ‘MOUNTAIN PATH’ HANAKAGO (FLOWER BASKET)

TANABE CHIKUUNSAI II: A BAMBOO ‘MOUNTAIN PATH’ HANAKAGO (FLOWER BASKET) By Tanabe Chikuunsai II (1910-2000), signed Chikuunsai zo Japan, second half of the 20 th century Of broad, rounded form, well woven from split hobichiku (phoenix-tail bamboo) in open mutsume-ami (hexagonal plaiting), the broad strips creating a dynamic lattice. The rim is reinforced by thicker bundled bamboo. Signed to the underside CHIKUUNSAI zo [made by Chikuunsai]. WIDTH 22.5 cm, HEIGHT 13 cm Provenance: The collection of John Adair Jr. John Adair Jr. was the founder and proprietor of Kurofune Antiques in Tokyo. His gallery became an internationally recognized destination for collectors and dealers and was featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Wall Street Journal. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear. With a wood tomobako (storage box) inscribed to the top Yamaji hanakago, hobichiku, 山路 花籃 鳳尾竹 [Mountain Path flower basket, phoenix-tail bamboo], and to the interior Tekisuikyo, Chikuunsai, 滴翠居 竹雲斎, with two seals. Tekisuikyo was a studio name used by the artist. Tanabe Chikuunsai II (1910-2000), born Tanabe Toshio, was the son of the pioneering bamboo artist Tanabe Chikuunsai I. Trained from an early age in basketry, as well as in traditional painting and calligraphy, he initially worked in a Chinese-inspired style and exhibited publicly from a young age under the name Shochiku. Following his father’s death in 1937, he assumed the name Tanabe Chikuunsai II and developed a more individual style characterized by refined structure and a modern sensibility. He became particularly known for his use of finely split bamboo and precise geometric plaiting, often creating lightweight and elegant forms. His work received wide recognition, including the Tokusen (Special Prize) and the Asakura Prize at the Eighth Nitten Exhibition in 1952, the Osaka Prefecture Arts Prize in 1959, and the Order of the Sacred Treasure (Zuiho), Fourth Class in 1981. In 1991, he passed the Chikuunsai name to his son and continued to play an important role as a senior figure in the field of Japanese bamboo art. Museum comparison: Compare a related bamboo basket by the same artist, 22.9 cm high and 25.4 cm in diameter, at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, object number 2012.015.015.