Live Auction 20991Japanese and Korean Art
A RARE LACQUER PILLOW
Lot 134

A RARE LACQUER PILLOW

EDO PERIOD (17TH CENTURY), ATTRIBUTED TO KOAMI CHOJU (1599-1651)

Closed20 September 2022

Price Realised

USD 32,760

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A RARE LACQUER PILLOW
EDO PERIOD (17TH CENTURY), ATTRIBUTED TO KOAMI CHOJU (1599-1651)
Of rectangular shape, the very fine and rare wedding pillow is decorated on the two side panels, one side with gold, silver and brown hiramaki-e, takamaki-e, kirikane, kimetsuke and inlaid gold and silver foil set against fine nashiji ground, depicting plum blossoms, bamboo, pine trees, cranes, minogame, persimmon trees, rocks, river and three family crests of mitsuba-aoi (three leaves of hollyhock), the other side with gold and silver hiramaki-e and inlaid gold foil set against fine nashiji ground, depicting a baku; the head rest with red lacquered cloth
8 1/4 in. (21 cm.)
With a black lacquered wood storage box with family crest of mitsuba-aoi (three leaves of hollyhock)

Specialist note

A pair of pillows with a similar design worked by Koami Choju (1599-1651) is in the collection of the Tokugawa Art Museum. The set of pillows is part of the lacquer works accompanied Chiyohime (1637-1699), the eldest daughter of Tokugawa Iemitsu (1601-1651), when she was married to Tokugawa Mitsutomo (1625-1700) in 1639, known as Hatsune no chodo (set of lacquer works with the motif of 'The First Warbler' from the Tale of Genji) which is registered as a national treasure. There is another lacquer accessory box by Koami Choju in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum, image accessible online at https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/40472?ft=koami+choju&offset=0&rpp=40&pos=1
The baku is a mythological animal resembling a cross between an elephant and a horse, with clawed feet and an ox's tail. Baku were thought to eat bad dreams, and the creature's name was sometimes written on pillows to prevent bad dreams. Baku imagery was sometimes incorporated into the decoration of pillows.