72 - KUNICHIKA II: A FINE AND LARGE SENTOKU AND SUAKA ‘PUPPIES IN RICE SHEAVES’ TSUBA

KUNICHIKA II: A FINE AND LARGE SENTOKU AND SUAKA ‘PUPPIES IN RICE SHEAVES’ TSUBA By Kunichika II (active c. 1860s), signed Kunichika Japan, late 19 th century, Meiji period (1868-1912) Of kawarigata form, finely carved in katakiribori and kebori to depict two puppies playing amid rice sheaves, one rendered in suaka, the other of sentoku with silver spots, the fur neatly rendered and eyes detailed in gold takazogan. Signed KUNICHIKA. HEIGHT 8.4 cm, WIDTH 8.1 cm HEIGHT 2.5 cm (nakago-ana) THICKNESS 0.2 cm (seppa-dai) WEIGHT 138.3 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. With a padded storage box. Tsuchiya Kunichika II (active in the 1860s) is listed in the Haynes Index of Japanese Sword Fittings and Associated Artists, p. 738 (H 03556.0). He was born in Mito, Hitachi province, as the son of the fifth Tsuchiya Yasuchika, who also signed Kunichika.