| Peonies have long been regarded as the “king of flowers,” and \r\ntheir dignified and elegant appearance has made them a favored \r\nsymbol of wealth, prosperity, and refinement. This work, \r\ndepicting a single peony blossom, emphasizes the flower itself, \r\nrendered with bold depth and three-dimensional carving, and \r\nexpressed in the brilliant and auspicious tones of solid gold.The \r\nartist, Unsui-ken Toshinobu, whose name appears in a divided \r\ntanzaku-style signature, was a disciple of Kikuoka Mitsutoshi, a \r\nmetalsmith who was granted the privilege of using the Kikuoka \r\nfamily name. Toshinobu was an Edo-based metalworker active in \r\nthe late Edo period.This pair of solid gold menuki delicately \r\ncaptures the luxurious beauty of the peony with refined \r\ncraftsmanship. The piece passed the Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu \r\nShinsa in 2013. |
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