AN UNPRECEDENTED, EXTRAORDINARY, FULLY ARTICULATED IRON DRAGON IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE BONHAMS FINE JAPANESE ART SALE TAKING PLACE OF 11.NOVEMBER AT NEW BOND STREET. THE 133cm LONG CREATION IS ESTIMATED TO SELL FOR £120,000 – 130,000. THE DRAGON IS A STUNNING EXAMPLE OF JIZAI OKIMONO, NATURALISTIC, FULLY ARTICULATED IRON ANIMAL FIGURES, WHOSE BODIES AND LIMBS CAN BE MOVED REPLICATING THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN REAL LIFE. THE EXTRAORDINARY DRAGON OFFERED BY BONHAMS HAS A LONG SERPENTINE AND UNDULATING BODY, FORGED WITH NUMEROUS SCALES THAT HAVE BEEN JOINED INSIDE THE BODY. THE HEAD, MOUTH, CLAWS AND EARS ARE EACH CONSTRUCTED OF MOVING PARTS AND THE LEG JOINTS CAN TURN 180 DEGREES. ALTHOUGH LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPNMENT OF JIZAI OKIMONO AS WORKS OF ART, THE DRAGON WAS CREATED IN THE EDO PERIOD BY THE MYOCHIN SCHOOL. HISTORICALLY, MEMBERS OF THE MYOCHIN FAMILY WERE SUPREME ARMOR MAKERS AND FAMOUS FOR THEIR EXCELLENT IRON FORGING AND HAMMER WORK. HOWEVER, DURING THE PROTRACTED LONG LONG PEACEFUL EDO PERIOD THERE WAS LESS DEMAND FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ARMOR AND THE FAMILY USED THEIR CRAFTSMANSHIP AND EXPERTISE TO CREATE OTHER OBJECTS, INCLUDING JIZAI OKIMONO. FOLLOWING THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY OF PROMOTING INDUSTRY AND EXPORTING DECORATIVE ART, MANY JIZAI OKIMONO FOUND THEIR WAY TO THE WEST AND HAVE BEEN OF FASCINATION EVER SINCE. THE DRAGON OFFERED FOR SALE BY BONHAMS IS ONE OF ONLY THREE KNOWN TO EXIST THAT ARE SIMILAR IN SIZE AND WORKMANSHIP, AND IS AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE THAT DEMONSTRATES THE ENVIABLE STANDARD OF FORGED IRON WORK AT THE TIME.
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