Sanju Saku Co., Yokohama (Marked with the Turtle)
Late Meiji Period, 19th Century
A Repoussé Silver Teapot with Bamboo-form Handle & Solid Jade Rabbit Finial
Deep Green Nephrite Hare Finial with Inlaid Shakudo Eyes
Traces of Gilding on Relief Vegetation Remain
Five playful bunnies cavort amidst bamboo leaves, vines, and grass on a rocky slope backed by mountains. Extraordinary detail to the fur & eyes of rabbits whose expressions and postures are subtly anthropomorphic.
The sixth rabbit (attached to the lid as a finial), is carved in the round out of fine, transluscent rich green nephrite jade, and is so lovely, it could be worn as a jewel.
Peering inside the kettle reveals exquisite precision & artisanal skill beyond imagination: Staggeringly deep repoussé counter-relief & hypersymmetrical hand-hammering mesmerize the eye as much as the exterior relief surfaces.
Sanju Saku is to the world's greatest collectors (from Ann Getty to Freddie Mercury) the undisputed king of domestic Japanese silversmiths.
At Sotheby's, 2023, Mercury's Sanju Saku silver bowl realized ~$19,000 against a £500 estimate. While starpower draws bids, the present work is a masterpiece beyond both aforementioned examples, hitting all value-adds: jade finial, shakudo inlay, high-relief repoussé, large size, & charismatic wildlife. cf. Getty's tea set Christie's, NYC (2022): $23,940.
If you love rabbits / bunnies, or if this is your zodiac animal, you must own this pot.
THE STORY:
I purchased this amazing Sanju Saku masterpiece under furious bidding at auction some years ago, during my first & only foray into smaller auctions outside the “Greatest Two” of Christie’s & Sotheby’s (from whence most of my stock on this website originates; apart from our family collection). I intended it as a gift to the mother of a girlfriend, whose Chinese Zodiac sign is the Rabbit. When the same girlfriend asked me how much I could get her in cash for melting two gorgeous solid gold & solid silver teapots that had been in her family for decades, I thought better of the gifting idea. We all know the Biblical passage regarding pearls and porcine beings… I am not a Rabbit - nor is anyone else I can think of amongst family or friends, offhand - so lucky customers, this magical piece will be yours!!
Notes:
~ 8.5” tall & ~ 7” wide
~ 20 TROY OUNCES
N.B. Antique Asian silver purity is highly variable and will not be estimated.
**SOLID SILVER**
*NOT* PLATED
Sanju Saku Co., Yokohama (Marked with the Turtle)
Late Meiji Period, 19th Century
A Repoussé Silver Teapot with Bamboo-form Handle & Solid Jade Rabbit Finial
Deep Green Nephrite Hare Finial with Inlaid Shakudo Eyes
Traces of Gilding on Relief Vegetation Remain
Five playful bunnies cavort amidst bamboo leaves, vines, and grass on a rocky slope backed by mountains. Extraordinary detail to the fur & eyes of rabbits whose expressions and postures are subtly anthropomorphic.
The sixth rabbit (attached to the lid as a finial), is carved in the round out of fine, transluscent rich green nephrite jade, and is so lovely, it could be worn as a jewel.
Peering inside the kettle reveals exquisite precision & artisanal skill beyond imagination: Staggeringly deep repoussé counter-relief & hypersymmetrical hand-hammering mesmerize the eye as much as the exterior relief surfaces.
Sanju Saku is to the world's greatest collectors (from Ann Getty to Freddie Mercury) the undisputed king of domestic Japanese silversmiths.
At Sotheby's, 2023, Mercury's Sanju Saku silver bowl realized ~$19,000 against a £500 estimate. While starpower draws bids, the present work is a masterpiece beyond both aforementioned examples, hitting all value-adds: jade finial, shakudo inlay, high-relief repoussé, large size, & charismatic wildlife. cf. Getty's tea set Christie's, NYC (2022): $23,940.
If you love rabbits / bunnies, or if this is your zodiac animal, you must own this pot.
THE STORY:
I purchased this amazing Sanju Saku masterpiece under furious bidding at auction some years ago, during my first & only foray into smaller auctions outside the “Greatest Two” of Christie’s & Sotheby’s (from whence most of my stock on this website originates; apart from our family collection). I intended it as a gift to the mother of a girlfriend, whose Chinese Zodiac sign is the Rabbit. When the same girlfriend asked me how much I could get her in cash for melting two gorgeous solid gold & solid silver teapots that had been in her family for decades, I thought better of the gifting idea. We all know the Biblical passage regarding pearls and porcine beings… I am not a Rabbit - nor is anyone else I can think of amongst family or friends, offhand - so lucky customers, this magical piece will be yours!!
Notes:
~ 8.5” tall & ~ 7” wide
~ 20 TROY OUNCES
N.B. Antique Asian silver purity is highly variable and will not be estimated.
**SOLID SILVER**
*NOT* PLATED
