Sold for €2,860
including Buyer's Premium
Japan, Tokyo, Meiji period (1868-1912)
The elderly fisherman holding a young child in one arm with a second child attempting to remove a sweetfish (ayu) from the mouth of the cormorant while holding a lantern at his feet. The elderly fisherman barefoot and dressed in simple robes with a grass apron, his face bearing a charming expression of great satisfaction at having the children with him as he fishes. The large cormorant tied with a harness attached to the belt of the fisherman, the bird detailed with fine feathers. The figures are finely carved with impressive incision work and staining. The base signed in a square reserve KOZAN.
HEIGHT 30.9 cm
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, expected age cracks, and natural flaws including one nerve channel to the base. The handle of the lantern re-stuck.
Provenance: From an old private collection in southern Germany, assembled between 1975 and 1982. An old collector’s label to the base of the figure, ‘OKIMONO, Komeran-Fischer Ivory. Jap. Meiji ca. 1880. Sign Naga-san. DM 9,000.’
Cormorant fishing (ukai) was at one time the primary method of catching ayu (sweetfish). It is first attested in the Book of Sui (636 AD), an official history of the Sui Dynasty in China, and was said to be a method invented in ancient Japan. To control the birds, the fishermen tie a loose snare near the base of the bird's throat. The snare prevents the bird from swallowing large fish, which are held temporarily in their gullet. When a cormorant has caught a fish in its throat, the fisherman brings the bird back to the boat and has it regurgitate the fish. Cormorant fishing was often most effective at night when the fish would swarm to the surface causing the fishermen to use large torches for lighting and to draw the fish in.
Auction comparison:
Compare a related Tokyo school ivory okimono of a cormorant fisherman with his cormorant, signed Eizan, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 16 May 2013, London, lot 305 (sold for GBP 6,259). Compare a closely related composition of an elderly man catching turtles with two children, signed Kakihan, at Zacke, Asian Art Discoveries, 27 January 2022, Vienna, lot 644 (sold for EUR 6,320).
Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number DE-K-221108-374).
Japan, Tokyo, Meiji period (1868-1912)
The elderly fisherman holding a young child in one arm with a second child attempting to remove a sweetfish (ayu) from the mouth of the cormorant while holding a lantern at his feet. The elderly fisherman barefoot and dressed in simple robes with a grass apron, his face bearing a charming expression of great satisfaction at having the children with him as he fishes. The large cormorant tied with a harness attached to the belt of the fisherman, the bird detailed with fine feathers. The figures are finely carved with impressive incision work and staining. The base signed in a square reserve KOZAN.
HEIGHT 30.9 cm
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, expected age cracks, and natural flaws including one nerve channel to the base. The handle of the lantern re-stuck.
Provenance: From an old private collection in southern Germany, assembled between 1975 and 1982. An old collector’s label to the base of the figure, ‘OKIMONO, Komeran-Fischer Ivory. Jap. Meiji ca. 1880. Sign Naga-san. DM 9,000.’
Cormorant fishing (ukai) was at one time the primary method of catching ayu (sweetfish). It is first attested in the Book of Sui (636 AD), an official history of the Sui Dynasty in China, and was said to be a method invented in ancient Japan. To control the birds, the fishermen tie a loose snare near the base of the bird's throat. The snare prevents the bird from swallowing large fish, which are held temporarily in their gullet. When a cormorant has caught a fish in its throat, the fisherman brings the bird back to the boat and has it regurgitate the fish. Cormorant fishing was often most effective at night when the fish would swarm to the surface causing the fishermen to use large torches for lighting and to draw the fish in.
Auction comparison:
Compare a related Tokyo school ivory okimono of a cormorant fisherman with his cormorant, signed Eizan, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 16 May 2013, London, lot 305 (sold for GBP 6,259). Compare a closely related composition of an elderly man catching turtles with two children, signed Kakihan, at Zacke, Asian Art Discoveries, 27 January 2022, Vienna, lot 644 (sold for EUR 6,320).
Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number DE-K-221108-374).
Our online bidding platform makes it easier than ever to bid in our auctions! When you bid through our website, you can take advantage of our premium buyer's terms without incurring any additional online bidding surcharges.
To bid live online, you'll need to create an online account. Once your account is created and your identity is verified, you can register to bid in an auction up to 12 hours before the auction begins.
When you register to bid in an online auction, you will need to share your intended maximum spending budget for the auction. We will then review your intended spend and set a bid limit for you. Once you have pre-registered for a live online auction, you can see your intended spend and bid limit by going to 'Account Settings' and clicking on 'Live Bidding Registrations'.
Your bid limit will be the maximum amount you can bid during the auction. Your bid limit is for the hammer price and is not affected by the buyer’s premium and VAT. For example, if you have a bid limit of €1,000 and place two winning bids for €300 and €200, then you will only be able to bid €500 for the rest of the auction. If you try to place a bid that is higher than €500, you will not be able to do so.
You can now leave absentee and telephone bids on our website!
Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave your absentee bid directly on the lot page. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.
Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave telephone bids online. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.
You can still submit absentee and telephone bids by email or fax if you prefer. Simply fill out the Absentee Bidding/Telephone bidding form and return it to us by email at office@zacke.at or by fax at +43 (1) 532 04 52 20. You can download the PDF from our Upcoming Auctions page.
How to Create Your Personal Zacke Account
How to Register to Bid on Zacke Live
How to Leave Absentee Bids Online
How to Leave Telephone Bids Online
创建新账号
注册Zacke Live在线直播竞拍(免平台费)
缺席投标和电话投标
We partner with best-in-class third-party partners to make it easy for you to bid online in the channel of your choice. Please note that if you bid with one of our third-party online partners, then there will be a live bidding surcharge on top of your final purchase price. You can find all of our fees here. Here's a full list of our third-party partners:
Please note that we place different auctions on different platforms. For example, in general, we only place Chinese art auctions on 51 Bid Live.
You must register to bid in person and will be assigned a paddle at the auction. Please contact us at office@zacke.at or +43 (1) 532 04 52 for the latest local health and safety guidelines.