† A RARE MYOCHIN SCHOOL IRON ARTICULATED JIZAI... Lot n° 46

† A RARE MYOCHIN SCHOOL IRON ARTICULATED JIZAI OKIMONO OF A SCHACHIHOKO (DRAGON FISH) Japan, 19th century, late Edo period (1615-1868) to early Meiji period (1868-1912) The shachihoko with a fully articulated body finely constructed of hammered plates joined inside the body, the mouth open to reveal a moveable flat tongue and sharp fangs, the body with spiky fins, the head applied with long, curling whiskers, elaborate horns and spines, and the eyes of shakudo embellished with gilt. With an associated root wood base. LENGTH 41.5 cm (the dragon fish), 49.5 cm (the base) WEIGHT 4,076 g Condition: Very good condition with minor expected wear and encrustations, some joints slightly stiffened. This inventive creature is a dolphin-like sea beast called a shachi or shachihoko. With its moving jaws, spine and fins, it is a bit of fantasy come to life. It is not clear why articulated animals and insects were first made in the workshops of armor makers in the early eighteenth century. The dragon model in the Tokyo National Museum made by Myochin Muneaki in 1713 is the earliest dated example. Typically, the artists of articulated figures made in this period were members of the Myochin school, prominent armor makers particularly skilled at forging and tempering steel. By the middle of the Edo period, Japan was at peace after centuries of civil war. The demand for arms significantly decreased, influencing many Myochin-school metalsmiths to turn to ornamental sword guards and arms, tea utensils and decorative objects in iron. Some of the articulated figures may have evolved from ornaments intended for helmets and other accoutrements. Literature comparison: Tokyo National Museum, ed., Jizai okimono: Honmono no yo ni jiyu ni ugokaseru hebi ya konchu (Articulated [iron] figures: Movable representations from nature from snakes to insects) (Tokyo: Tokyo National Museum, 2008), pl. 4 and fig. 3. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related iron articulated model of a dragon fish by Muneyoshi, 18th-19th century, 30.5 cm long, at Christie’s, An Inquiring Mind: American Collecting of Japanese and Korean Art, 22 April 2015, New York, lot 94 (sold for 185,000 USD). 13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer’s premium – only for buyers within the EU.