A FINE PRETENDING TEA

Thursday, May 8, 2008Lots 1-374

May 8, 2008 in Chicago, IL


More than 400 fine antique dolls, ranging from French bébés, and highlighted by a petite kid-bodied A.T. from a private owner, to rare German bisque characters including Hertel and Schwab's 111, solemn faced girl, and an exceptional group of dolls formerly in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. Also examples of early Edo period Japanese dolls, a fine group of Chinese wooden Door of Hope dolls, American cloth dolls, bisque mignonettes and Schoenhuts. 8.5" x 11". Softbound. 148 full-color pages.

Live Auction

Showing 1 - 374 of 374

Japanese Grand Sized Yusoku-bina Palace and Imperial Family

Japanese Grand Sized Yusoku-bina Palace and Imperial Family

Lot #185

41"w. x 27"h. x 23"d. palace. 14" imperial couple. The palace of classic Genji-style open roofed design with wood frame construction,tsudare roll-up screeen front and sides crafted of bamboo and edged in silk brocades with y_soku patterning,has an inner back wall composed of four fusuma door panels of paper with scattered gold leaf accents and embossed metal door pulls; side planges of wood with inserted sugi-do door panels with raised and painted designs of chrysantheums,metal pulls,bosses and supporting hardware; and top rails also of wood with crisscrossing open ranma transome panels,the unusual multi-tiered tatami dais with three removable tatami mats edged in a vertically striped ungenberi silk brocade and each resting on a woven mat ground. The dairi-bini (imperial couple) are presented in the semi-formal Noshu-y_soku style,each with well-rendered carved wood head,shell white (gofun) finish with painted features including blackened teeth and skybrows,signifying their imperial rank,real human hair drawn into a long back braid for the female secured with gold leafed paper cuffs,and a topknot for the cap with lacquered paper court cap with a gauze ei tail. The o-bina male is wearing a white double brocade (futae orimono) surcoat over a diamond patterned figured silk under robe with red inner sleeves. The me-bina female wears green double brocade outer robe with a tatewaku undulating line pattern with scattered roundels and crimson trousers. The prince and princess pair with faces in an overly round manner to convey a sense of youth,with blackened teeth and skybrows of the imperial classes and hands rendered with long,attenuated fingers,are dressed in the informal kariginu y_soku style,designed as youthful attendant figures for the Imperial couple; the male wearing jointed sleeve silk outer coat with long-tailed bird and paulownia design and banded silk sodegukuri sleeve draw cords and a lacquered paper eboshi court cap. The female me-bina wearing a matching patterned outer coat over an unusual brown birodo velvet under kimono and crimson trousers. Condition: generally excellent. Comments: Japanese,late Edo/early Meiji era,mid-19th century,the palace bears the seal of the maker on the under side. Yusoku-bina were developed in the 18th century to closely mimic actual imperial court costuming; more subdued than other hina forms,y_soku-bina were largely patronized by the imperial and samurai elite rather an the merchant classes,and unlike other styles which morphed over time,shifting with popular fads,y_soku artisans maintained strict traditional forms. Value Points: grand and fine early Y_soku-bina Palace and dairi-bina with maker's seal on palace. The Palace set was gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1916 by the important Kyoto antique and art importer Yamanaka and Company.

 
Set of Japanese Bijan-Ningyo Depicting a Courtesan's Procession

Set of Japanese Bijan-Ningyo Depicting a Courtesan's Procession

Lot #255

11" (28 cm.) courtesan. 7"-10" others. Each of the four ningyo with wood composite (toso) head with shell white (gofun) finish,painted features,inset glass eyes,silk fiber hair. Included in the set is Kyoto bijan-ningyo depicting a Oiran courtesan on her way to an assignation,having separately formed hands with finely formed attentuated fingers,dressed in a light blue silk outer uchigakae kimono with fine silk embroidery across the back depicting a blossoming cherry tree,with falling blossoms evoking the fleeting and ephemeral nature of beauty and existence,vibrant red inner lining with padded hem that is slightly lifted to expose tall geta as she executes the prerequisite and complex figure eight walk (hachimonji),large purple silk brocade obi tied at the front underneath the outer kimono but positioned so that the bow is clearly visible indicative of her profession as a courtesan,and her hair in a dramatic mage chignon with tortoise shell combs and silk crepe ribbons; posed on dark scalloped wood base. The second bijan-ningyo,10" depicting a Yarite,an older woman designed to supervise young courtesans as they traveled to an assignation,is soberly dressed with a dark kosode kimono with a broad back-tied obi and having simple mage chignon with simple comb and pin,scalloped edge wooden base. The two smaller ningyo,7",depict Kamuro attendants,girls in training to become courtesans,dressed in twin red silk furisode kimono with sleeves tied closed at wrists with dangling bell-capped tassels,birodo velvet obi tie belts at waist,hems raised to expose delicate feet in geta,hair in classic mage chignon with silk crepe,paper,metal flowers and ornaments,one holding a parasol,having matching scalloped-edge wood stands. Condition: generally excellent. Comments: Japan,Taisho era,early 20th century. Value Points: beautifully detailed ensemble depicting social roles in precise and artfully executed manner.