123 - TEIGETSU: AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE AND INGENIOUS CARVED WOOD ‘TORTOISE’ SUZURIBAKO

TEIGETSU: AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE AND INGENIOUS CARVED WOOD ‘TORTOISE’ SUZURIBAKO By Teigetsu, signed Teigetsu Japan, late 19th century, Meiji period (1868-1912) Superbly and naturalistically carved as a large tortoise striding forward on four powerful legs, its head raised and turned slightly to one side with a remarkably lifelike expression. The scaly skin of the neck and limbs is crisply articulated, the clawed feet carefully modeled, and the eyes are ingeniously rendered with painted pupils beneath glass inlays. The broad domed carapace is carved in meticulous relief with overlapping hexagonal scutes and finely incised growth lines, closely reproducing the structure and texture of a natural tortoise shell. The entire carapace lifts away to reveal a concealed writing set fitted into the body of the animal, comprising a rectangular inkstone (suzuri) with gilt border and a circular copper water dropper (suiteki). The interior of the carapace fitted with a rectangular bone reserve signed TEIGETSU. LENGTH 37 cm Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear. With a wood storage box inscribed, “Carved wood tortoise suzuri.” The tortoise (kame), one of the most enduring auspicious motifs in Japanese art, is associated above all with longevity and good fortune. Its use here is especially fitting: the massive, protective shell not only provides the sculptural focus of the composition but literally conceals and protects the writing implements within. Auction comparison: Compare a related tortoise-shaped lacquer kobako, dated late 19th century, Meiji period, 13.5 cm long, realistically modeled with a removable carapace enclosing a gold nashiji interior, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese and Korean Art, 11 September 2020, New York, lot 604 (sold for USD 3,570 or approx. EUR 4,100 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). The present work is considerably larger at 37 cm and is distinguished by its elaborate transformation into a complete writing set.