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Flower Basket, 1970s-80s

Creator: Tanabe Chikuunsai III
Offered by: Thomsen Gallery

Description
Tanabe Chikuunsai III
Flower Basket, 1970s-80s
Arrow-shaft bamboo and rattan
Size 10¼ x 16 x 16 in. (26 x 41 x 41 cm)
T-4983

Yadake (arrow-shaft bamboo), rattan

Signed underneath with incised characters: Shōchiku tsukuru (Made by Chikuunsai)

Comes with its original fitted paulownia-wood tomobako storage box inscribed on the reverse of the lid: Kono sakusha Sandai Chikuunsai shozō mono nari Heisei nijūhachinen Shōchiku shiki (This piece was made by Chikuunsai III, certified by Shōchiku, 2016) and sealed Tanabe, Shōchiku

The son of Tanabe Chikuunsai II, Chikuunsai III studied bamboo art with his father and two of his father’s senior students, but also graduated with a degree in design from Musashino Art University, following a career path adopted by many other Japanese craft professionals of his generation. Often (as here) using stiff, sturdy yadake (a species of bamboo traditionally used for arrow shafts) arranged in parallel lines and bound with rattan, an imported trailing vine of southeast Asian origin, Chikuunsai III’s work has a distinctive contemporary look compared to that of previous generations of the distinguished Tanabe lineage.

The corners on this particular piece echo the ancient azekura building technique, characterized by horizontal timbers laid so as to overlap at the corners. The most famous instance of azekura architecture is the Shōsōin Imperial Storehouse, constructed more than a thousand years ago in Nara, Japan’s capital during the eighth century; Iizuka Rōkansai (1890–1958), the greatest bamboo artist of the previous generation to Chikuunsai III, also took inspiration from this revered structure.

Signed with the name Shōchiku which Chikuunsai III used between 1969 and 1991, in 2016 this piece was certified on the storage box by his son Chikuunsai IV, who succeeded to the headship of the Tanabe lineage in the following year.

More Information

Dimensions

Message from Seller:

Thomsen Gallery, now located at 8 East 67th Street, New York City, NY 10065, specializes in important Japanese paintings, folding screens, hanging scrolls, ceramics, ikebana bamboo baskets, lacquerware, and contemporary works by select artists. Owned and directed by Erik and Cornelia Thomsen, the gallery brings decades of expertise in Japanese art to a global clientele, including private collectors and major museums. For inquiries, contact them at 212-288-2588 or info@thomsengallery.com.