A lacquer incense container (kôgo). Early 20th century - image-1

Lot 1138 Dα

A lacquer incense container (kôgo). Early 20th century

Auction 1072 - overview Cologne
11.06.2016, 11:00 - Japanese Art and Antiques
Estimate: 700 € - 900 €
Result: 22.320 € (incl. premium)
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A lacquer incense container (kôgo). Early 20th century

A bronze-imitation lacquer incense container (kôgo), the lid in shape of the end piece of a roof tile with a stylised plum blossom. Nashiji to the inside. Brocade bag. Fitted tomobako, the lid inscribed Kanshitsu (dry lacquer) kôgo uchi nashiji, and signed on the reverse: Shôsai with kaô. Early 20th century.
Height 9 cm; diameter 7.7 cm

An identical kôgo is in the Baur collection in Geneva. Its title Nagaoka Tenjin in the Imamura auction catalogue reveals that such roof tiles were remains of the Tenjin shrine in the old capital of Nagaoka.
Shirayama Shôsai (1853-1923) is one of the most well known lacquer artists of early modern Japan. From 1905 onwards he taught at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and was a member of the Art Committee of the Imperial Household.

Provenance

Private collection, assembled in the 1960s and 1970s

Literature

The inscription on the lid is illustrated in: Jan Dees, Facing Modern Times, The Revival of Japanese Lacquer Art 1890-1950, Rotterdam 2007, fig. 221