Matsunoki

The pair of figures are more modern “gift shop” material and I doubt they contain any ivory. More likely plastic and bone. Apologies!

Hi Gerry The first ivory….the woodcutter. What you have here is a late Meiji period sectional elephant ivory okimono. The okimono that emerged during mid Meiji are amongst the finest ivory carvings ever created. They can be astonishing works carved from a solid block. The demand for these grew rapidly and to satisfy that demand the ingenious Japanese started to produce similar looking but lower quality works using assorted offcuts of ivory that were worked and cunningly pegged together with expertly concealed joints. They were produced in large numbers by workshops that employed a variety of skills. Different carvers would produce things like the heads, hands and feet whilst lesser talent would carve the various torso components. This was obviously a much cheaper method than using the hugely expensive solid blocks cut from substantial tusks. It was also much quicker due to many people working in collaboration. Your woodcutter is such piece. Don’t know if you have ever looked closely but the head (in this case too big for the body) is separate, the arms are separate joined at the shoulders, the forearms are separate joined where they insert into the robes. The upper torso is separate to the lower joined just above the sash, the legs will be separate etc etc These “lookalikes” are worth only a small fraction of their higher quality monoblock predecessors and of course with current ivory laws etc they are as you say, difficult to sell. Date wise yours is somewhere in the 1880-1910 range. I have had many of these spread across my restoration bench over the years when the glue gives way and they fall apart! Out of interest here is an example of a similar subject from Bonhams but of a much higher quality and value…. I hope I have not offended or disappointed you. All the best Colin

I can tell you exactly what this is provided you don’t get offended. You don’t need to send it anywhere. Should I go ahead?

Beautiful high quality Meiji bronze. Probably by Genryusai Seiya. One the greatest Meiji studios. They made these in various sizes but this is one of the largest I’ve seen. Do you own it or thinking of buying it?

Michael, I am equally happy to praise and often do but what I have pointed out about the British Museum and its problems is factual, not an opinion.…..and maybe the the critical overtones are justified…..the video in question certainly does not deserve much praise does it? The BM holds far more stuff than it can ever really look after adequately let alone display to the public and whilst facilitating private viewings is admirable that isn’t what is under discussion. What is the actual reality?

Some of these notions are justified……..I wonder if a full inventory of the Japanese collection has ever been undertaken? Yes, the museum may facilitate private study of some objects, but that is not what the debate is here.

I only lasted about 4 mins into the video. Embarrassing to think this the best they can do.

Sadly that damage was probably fatal for the wearer. The hole does not immediately look like a matchlock projectile strike to me but something rather more powerful. Can we see the underside of that damage please? Pure speculation but this could have been worn in the face of the better equipped Imperial forces? @Bugyotsuji…..what do you think?

Beats watching the telly🙂

Well, imo the perspective used is definitely not Japanese and nor is the style of painting, not even later Japanese. Also, I am usually useless on Google translate but the first few Kanji look like Xingshan waterfall……Xingshan being (I think) a province in China. So, given the above I’d go for Chinese, mid 20thC tourist type thing. …..but just an opinion.

Oh yes! I am very familiar with that old proverb/song. Six would have been better but then again, maybe not? That would be very romantic🙂 Thanks, that’s interesting. I appreciate this scroll even more now! Thanks gentlemen!

@SteveM @Bugyotsuji Steve, Piers, many thanks for your help. Never seen such a collaboration recorded on a scroll. Wonder why so many artists involved and why two separate artists painted separate magpies? Any ideas? Thanks again.

Where doubtless it is slowly deteriorating …….or being stolen! Sad but same old story with museums.😡

Hi Howard Maybe the middle panel depicts a sennin/arhat/(whatever we call them) reading an unrolled scroll. The missing door would have depicted a similar subject, not necessarily any particular story or theme…..but others with greater religious imagery knowledge may disagree.

Thanks Piers…I thought it was more modern so that’s a nice surprise. As for the crack, it is now “out of sight out of mind”🙂