Lot 302: A fine gold lacquer shodana (display shelf) Fine Japanese Art

By Uematsu Hobi (1872-1933), Meiji/Taisho Period A magnificent lacquer display cabinet supported on four bracket feet, comprising sliding doors and a pair of hinged cupboards, the fronts, top, shelves, sides and reverse decorated with assorted flowers of the four seasons, the door fronts with flowering chrysanthemums, kikyo (Chinese bellflowers), fukinoto (butterbur flower stalks), tsukushi (horsetails), shirotsume (white clover) and sumire (violets), the inside of the doors with stylised pine and bamboo leaves, the sliding doors depicting from the left nadeshiko (pinks) and dandelions, and from the right daffodils and yamatachibana (coralberry), the top staggered shelf decorated with lilies, ominaeshi (valerian) and kudzu vine, the top decorated with hydrangea, horsetail, mukuge (rose of Sharon) and dandelions, all embellished in gold takamaki-e on a rich mura-nashiji ground, applied throughout with silver fittings engraved with floral sprays, the inside of one door signed in gold lacquer Hobi saku; with tomobako, titled Shiki kusabana shodana (Book Cabinet with Seasonal Foliage Design), attached with a paper slip with an inscription Uematsu saku shiki kusabana maki-e shodana (Maki-e Book Cabinet with Seasonal Foliage Design by Uematsu) with seal Matsu no in, the inside of the lid signed Hobi sei, attached with a small piece of paper inscribed Ikebukuro Inoue 1. 66cm x 74cm x 36.5cm (26in x 29 1/8in x 14 3/8in). (2).

1.66cm x 74cm

Born in Tokyo the first son of the maki-e artist Uematsu Homin (1846-1899), Uematsu Hobi (see also lot 112) studied the technique of maki-e from his father and design from Kishi Kokei (1839-1922). Celebrated for his sophisticated pictorial style and immaculate technique, he is perhaps best known for a set of suzuribako and bunko with landscape design shown at the Paris Universal Exposition in 1900, but he won awards at numerous subsequent exhibitions, including the 8th, 9th, 11th, 13th and 14th Teiten.