Yu Jen Taipei Art & Antique Auction | Private Sales

Following last year’s triumphant white-glove sale, Yu Jen is again presenting “The Kudeken Kenji Collection of Magnificent Chinese Art II.” As the chairman of Nagakura Shoji Co., Ltd., Kudeken Kenji came from a distinguished Japanese lineage, with close ties with the Imperial Household and nobility. His curation includes a multitude of rare, top-tier treasures.
 
AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE LARGE AND IMPORTANT TEADUST-GLAZED VASE, MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG, is from the Hashimoto Family Collection. The Hashimoto lineage provided counsel to the officials and played a crucial role in advising the Imperial Household. This piece from the Hashimoto family collection made its first appearance at the Tokyo Art Club's special auction in 1939 (Showa 14). It later found a home in Kudeken Kenji’s collection. Standing at an impressive 47 centimeters, this vase is an unrivaled masterpiece of the Yongzheng era's tea-dust glaze.
 
Also featured is a pair of "A MAGNIFICENT AND EXTREMELY RARE PAIR OF GOLD-GROUND FAMILLE-ROSE 'DRAGON' VASES, MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG," sourced from the imperial collection of the Arisugawa Nomiya. A branch of the Japanese Imperial Family, the Arisugawa Nomiya held roles as calligraphy and poetry instructors for the Imperial Household throughout the ages. These vases, crafted during the 3rd year of the Taisho era (1914), were cherished by the founder of the "Greater Tokyo Fire Insurance Maritime Company," Sorimachi Shigesaku. The production of these Qianlong kiln "famille rose" ceramics posed an extraordinary technical challenge, with the majority being held within the Imperial Palace. This paired set, therefore, is an exceptionally rare find.
 
In addition, the collection includes, from the Inoue Family of Tokyo, "A MAGNIFICENT AND RARE BLUE AND WHITE IRON-RED DECORATED 'DRAGON' VASE, MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG," and “A MAGNIFICENT AND RARE LARGE JINGDEZHEN QINGBAI-GLAZED FIGURE OF GUANYIN, YUAN DYNASTY,” embodying the fusion of Han and Tibetan art styles. In total these eight top-tier Chinese art pieces not only showcase Kudeken Kenji’s discerning taste and expert curation, but also bear witness to the pinnacle of craftsmanship in a flourishing period of Chinese history.