Shakudo, silver and gold. Japan, 19th century
Elaborately crafted nanakoji and raised edge. The depiction in iroe takazogan presents a young pine tree including roots and a golden crane in origami folded technique. The roots are defined with silver. A nicely composed New Year’s arrangement with with “long life“ symbolism. Signed GO-TO MITSU-AKI, and Kao.
LENGTH 9,6 CM
From the collection of Dr. Karl Florenz (1865-1939)
Dr. Karl Florenz was a renowned scholar, university professor and regarded as a pioneer of German Japanese studies. He resided in Japan from 1888 until the beginning of the First World War, then continued his lectures at the Hamburg Colonial Institute, never to return to Japan again. Famous for having translated several important Japanese books including the Nihongi, Japan’s oldest official historical text, he was awarded the Japanese doctor title in literature. His extensive collection was largely destroyed by air strikes in the Second World War (which he himself did not live to witness), however, most tsuba etc. survived in relatively good condition. Dr. Florenz primarily collected tsubas, most of which are from the 18th cent. and quite evidently made an effort to explore a wide range of motifs.