signboard
Object NameDouble-Sided Kanban (shop signboard) for Takami tokei ten (an eyeglass and watch
Made FromWood, Metal, Glass, Paint, Gilding, Lacquer
Dateprobably 1853-1877
Place MadeJapan
TechniqueCarved, painted, gilded, cut
SizeOverall H: 156.5 cm, W: 31 cm, D: 2.8 cm
Accession Number2021.6.3
Curatorial Area(s)
Exhibitions
Past | Present: Expanding the Stories of Glass
Not On View
Interpretive NotesBy reading the Kanban’s inscriptions, we can identify the glass manufacturer, types of lenses the shop sold, and more (see the gallery wall for a complete translation). But we are left with questions about who made this sign. We know many trades- and crafts-people were involved in creating and installing this Kanban, including: the hangi-gaki who wrote the calligraphy, the Kanban-shi who executed the carving, the shashimoni-shi (wood joiner) who constructed the framework, and the glassmaker who crafted the oversized, convex glass lenses. However, we don’t know their names or identities at this time.
Provenance
Source
Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc.
- 2021-03-26-2021-10-01
2021–Present Date: Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc., New York City, New York; March 26, 2021: Sold by Hindman Auctions, Chicago, from “Sale 913: Japanese and Korean Works of Art” (Lot 511) to Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc. The Kanban was purchased with another example by Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc. on March 26, 2021 from “Sale 913: Japanese and Korean Works of Art,” Hindman Auctions, Chicago (Lot 511).
2021–Present Date: Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc., New York City, New York; March 26, 2021: Sold by Hindman Auctions, Chicago, from “Sale 913: Japanese and Korean Works of Art” (Lot 511) to Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc. The Kanban was purchased with another example by Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc. on March 26, 2021 from “Sale 913: Japanese and Korean Works of Art,” Hindman Auctions, Chicago (Lot 511).
Former Collection
Hindman Auctions
- 2021-03-26
2021–Present Date: Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc., New York City, New York; March 26, 2021: Sold by Hindman Auctions, Chicago, from “Sale 913: Japanese and Korean Works of Art” (Lot 511) to Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc. The Kanban was purchased with another example by Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc. on March 26, 2021 from “Sale 913: Japanese and Korean Works of Art,” Hindman Auctions, Chicago (Lot 511).
2021–Present Date: Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc., New York City, New York; March 26, 2021: Sold by Hindman Auctions, Chicago, from “Sale 913: Japanese and Korean Works of Art” (Lot 511) to Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc. The Kanban was purchased with another example by Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc. on March 26, 2021 from “Sale 913: Japanese and Korean Works of Art,” Hindman Auctions, Chicago (Lot 511).
