A FINE ZESHIN-STYLE LACQUER PAINTING OF A CROW... Lot n° 48

A FINE ZESHIN-STYLE LACQUER PAINTING OF A CROW WITH FALLING MAPLE LEAVES Japan, late 19th to early 20th century, Meiji period (1868-1912) Finely worked in layers of black and red lacquer, carved with minute detailing to depicting a descending crow, its red leaves falling in the autumnal night scenery, holding in its beak a twig bearing two berries made of inlaid mother-of-pearl. The plumage of the majestic bird is neatly incised, the leaves are executed with remarkable naturalism. SIZE 45.5 x 33.5 cm Condition: Good condition with minor wear, uneven sections of lacquer on the panel, and chips to the edges with some associated touchups. Provenance: From the collection of the Mulhouse Museum of Fine Arts, Mulhouse, France, old inventory number to the back 974.315.1 AD. The museum is a part of the Société Industrielle de Mulhouse, an industrial society for the promotion of manufacturing and entrepreneurship founded in 1826. The museum was founded by the society in 1864 with the donation of local members. Much of the museum’s collection was confiscated during World War II, and due to losses and damages sustained during the war, the museum did not reopen until 1958. Auction comparison: Compare a related lacquer painting depicting a crow in the night, by Shibata Zeshin, at Bonhams, Polish and Poise, Japanese Art across the Centuries,12 May 2022, London, lot 77 ( sold for GBP 138,900).