| Endowed
with time and usage, this elegant 19th century Japanese tsutsu set composed of
no less than nine different materials. The tsutsu, a tightly fitted press horn
pipe case, meticulously hand-carved in highly defined symmetrical motifs, polished
to a sheen with an amber and cinnabar red urishi, lacquer. The pipe is made of
bamboo and gilded silver bronze with an etching of a flying kite. True to tradition,
this pipe (kiseru) holds just one pinch of tobacco. A robust, polished, red coral
ojime, weights the tassel in counterbalance to a delicate ivory netsuke showing
a warrior in Qing costume, with sword in hand guarding three sheep under a arched
pine tree. The pouch ( tonkotsu is made of enticingly grained leather, punctuated
by a clasp of two gilded bronze couching monkeys, playfully reaching out with
their elongated arms. Such depictions are commonly seen in Chinese and Japanese
sumi paintings. Judging from the scholarly characteristics of the set. It is easy
to see this tsutsu was well beloved by many aristocrats in the Edo and Meiji eras.
| | | |  | | | |  | | | |  | | | |  |  | | | |
|
