Shibuichi, some copper, silver, gilding. Japan, 19th century
Chokaro (in China among the Eight Immortals – Baixan) shown standing under a high pine and upholding his hyotan (gourd) while his horse is depicted on the reverse ready to carry Chokaro a thousand miles a day. Very fine craftsmanship with a pinch of humor inlaid in iroe takazogan, tenzogan and engraving. 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. Famed for having translated several important Japanese books including the Nihongi, Japan’s oldest official history 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.