53 - SHOKATEI MOTOHIRO: A FINE OTSUKI SCHOOL SHIBUICHI ‘CROW ON SNOWY PINE’ TSUBA

SHOKATEI MOTOHIRO: A FINE OTSUKI SCHOOL SHIBUICHI ‘CROW ON SNOWY PINE’ TSUBA By Shokatei Motohiro, signed Shokatei Motohiro with kakihan Japan, late 18 th to early 19 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Of nademarugata form, with one kozuka hitsu-ana, the nakago-ana with suaka sekigane, the shibuichi migakiji ground very finely inlaid in silver, gold, and shakudo takazogan, featuring a crow perched on a gnarled pine branch, the snow detailed in silver, and a gushing stream to the reverse. Signed SHOKATEI MOTOHIRO with kakihan. HEIGHT 7.1 cm, WIDTH 6.5 cm HEIGHT 2.8 cm (nakago-ana) THICKNESS 0.4 cm (seppa-dai) WEIGHT 124.1 g Provenance: From the private collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, New York. 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. Shokatei Motohiro is listed in Robert E. Haynes, The Index of Japanese Sword Fittings and Associated Artists, p.1168 (H 05869.0). Shokatei Motohiro, also known as Nakagami Motohiro, was the first student of Otsuki Mitsuyoshi and later of Otsuki Mitsuoki.