A FINE BRONZE OKIMONO 'QUAIL AND MILLET' GROUP, EX-COLLECTION KENZO TAKADA
Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912)

The quail very finely cast, the plumage worked with elaborate incision work, the bird facing to its left, its beak opened wide, the eyes ringed in gilt. The quail stands on two millet leaves, naturalistically cast in silvery shibuichi, with large gilt millet heads.

HEIGHT 13 cm, LENGTH 19 cm
WEIGHT 686 g

Condition: Good condition, the object presents very well. Some minor surface wear. One leg with a repair. A small section connecting the quail and millet lost.
Provenance: Ex-collection Kenzo Takada (1939-2020).

Kenzo Takada (1939-2020) was an iconic Japanese fashion designer living in France. He founded Kenzo, a worldwide brand of perfumes, skincare products, and clothes, and was the honorary president of the Asian Couture Federation. Takada was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor on 2 June 2016. For decades, Kenzo Takada had built an impressive and diverse collection of furniture, paintings, objects, works of art and fashion pieces, including many objects of fine Japanese art, displaying in his home a subtle balance between the influences of East and West, reflecting the free spirit of this creative genius.

The three lots from Kenzo Takada's collection in this sale (lot 25, 293 & 303) were all objects he lived with in his apartment, overlooking the whole of Paris, for the last 15 years of his life, after his retirement.

Auction comparison:
A closely related bronze okimono of a quail standing on millet was sold at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 5 November 2009, London, lot 277 (sold for 3,360 GBP).