An Incised Pale Celadon Glazed Porcelain 'Dragon' Vase

18th/19th Century

清中期青白釉仿哥窯暗刻龍紋賞瓶
the globular body above a spreading foot rising to an elongated neck and a flaring mouth, incised to the body showing a striding dragon chasing a pearl of wisdom below a raised ring on the neck.

Height 15 in., 38 cm.

Property from the Estate of Makoto Sakurai, thence by descent

櫻井誠（1926-2021）藏中日瓷雜古玩。

櫻井先生是前三菱重工北美大區主席，兩年前95歲高齡去世，受其女委托，上拍生前所蓄中日瓷器、雜項與家具。櫻井先生出身於本州岛根县奥出云町的武士家族，江戶時代以鍛刀爲業，慢慢發展為當地九大鋼鐵製造業商之一。櫻井誠早年喜愛文藝，但他成長的年月正值二戰，不得不參軍，被分配到機械工程部門，參與研發了著名的零式战斗机（海軍馬鹿的主力戰鬥機，也是日本海軍的象徵，代表了二戰前日本航空工业的最高水准）。

戰後，因爲與三菱的深度合作，櫻井先生出任三菱重工北美大區副總裁，后升任主席。櫻井誠晚年長居紐約，以養馬和藏瓷爲樂，為心愛的瓷器繪有手稿記錄，詳見拍品大圖。

Makoto SAKURAI (1926-2021) was lifelong lover of the arts and nature, prolific watercolor and oil painter, porcelain collector, and horse breeder. Born in Japan one of four sons and one daughter of Toyokuro and his wife, Shito. The Sakurai were an esteemed samurai family involved in iron production for the making of swords in the Okuizumo region of Shimane Prefecture during the Edo Period. They became one of nine samurai families that controlled iron production for the domain.

Little is known of Makoto’s early life other than it was here in Japan that is love of nature and the arts blossomed. When Makoto came of age, he joined the Japanese military Academy as a candidate for the cavalry. Though he unfortunately lacked the requisite riding skills he more than made up for it with creativity and ingenuity and was soon transferred to the engineering corps. During World War II Makoto worked closely with the Mitsubishi cooperation on the A6M Zero, a long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft and considered to have been the most capable carrier-based fighter in the world when it was introduced early in the war. After the war, and thanks in no small part to the relationship he developed with Mitsubishi, Makoto Joined the corporation and was soon after promoted to Vice President and head of Mitsubishi North America. Makoto relocated to New York, married his wife Michele and spent the remainder of his life raising his daughter Monica and continuing to build his collection of earthenware, porcelain, artwork, and handmade wooden furniture from China and Japan.