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I'm faced with a rather daunting dilemna. I have the opportunity to buy a Meiji era Japanese cabinet. I want the cabinet - 100%. The price is not cheap. several thousand, but given the quality, well worth it. However, the cabinet's greatest feature are large panels of extremely well carved ivory rendering of louhans, immortals, Kannon (Japan's Guanyin), and more typical bird and flowers. The rosewood is also magnificently carved and has some beautiful lacquer work done to it.
I'll post a few pics I took of the panels shortly, but let me tell you that this is perhaps the finest Meiji cabinet I have ever seen - museum or otherwise. An appraisal from 1997, althought I'm sure it was slightly exhagerated, shows it was valued at $160,000 USD. IF ivory was not so taboo these days, it would in my opinion be worth that or more, today.
But, there lies the dilemna.... ivory is essentially banned, so effectively I would be throwing away the money. It's also a huge cabinet, over 7 feet tall, 5 feet wide, and about 1 1/2 feet deep.
I still buy ivory pieces, but small relatively inexpensive pieces that are easy to store. And, such a large piece of furniture means something else in my house would have to go (and all the artwork stored in/on it), or just store it in my building until I build a bigger house or something.
I could remove the panels and hang them like paintings, but then I'm altering/destroying the piece. Afterall, the cabinet is beautifully carved rosewood....without the panels, I'd say it would bring around $10,000. I'm not really considering such a drastic measure.
So, my dilemna boils down to this..... would you be willing to spend thousands of dollars to own an incredible piece of art that you wouldn't be able to display in your home (at least not right away), and most likely never be able to resell to get your money back?
The worker in the background is about 5 and a half feet tall, so yes, the cabinet is rather huge.
Hi Tim,
It's a exceptional piece of Japanese furniture from the late Meiji period. I have never seen anything like it before. I wonder if it's signed?
The quality of the ivory carving along with the wood rendering are exceptional.
The asking price of several thousand dollars I assume is about $3000 USD. Fifteen panels which is $200 each. Cheap!
The dilemma surrounding the future sale of ivory is a important issue to consider.
The asking price is not expensive IMO. Even with the current restrictions on the sale of ivory I could see this being sold to a private collection for about $15,000 USD. And that would be cheap!
I know you have some exceptional pieces etc that could be displayed within this piece.
So do you buy it because it's beautiful or do you buy it as a dealer? The answer to the first is obviously yes....the second question would probably be a no because of the size and materials. It's unlikely to sell for a very long time.
It's huge which is a big problem also. These are not selling well ATM.
So if it was me and I had a place to put I would be inclined to offer $2000 and enjoy it for it's mastery.
You are unlikely to ever see one like this again.
Mark
Come on, man, if you've got the money of course you buy it, it's a masterpiece!
Hello Greeno
That is a exceptional piece you would need a 14’ foot ceiling to hold it.Best of luck to you on what ever you do, John
Tim,
Not having ever been a dealer, but only a collector not concerned with the ‘business of antiques’, my approach to such a decision is naturally different from yours. First, I don’t use funds that are earmarked for living expenses or financial investments for my hobbies. My antique purchases are long term and for my money I have the expectation for many years of enjoyment from living with all these beautiful things. Secondly, long term collections need to be edited over the years because no one has un-limited space to collect. Antique furniture can also serve a practical purpose so it makes sense to kick a similar lesser furniture piece ‘to the curb’ when something wonderful comes along.
All bets are off, if the other half doesn’t like it.
That is so true. What does your wife think? It is a huge piece to live with.
Still, it is a magnificent item! If she likes it and you can at least get your money back, which sounds more than likely, then you have to decide whether you would regret not buying it more than you are likely to regret buying it.
Out of interest, what is the piece that will have to make way? Is it something you will regret losing?
@julia I would guess that if he doesn't buy this he will lose sleep over it, so I imagine Greeno will soon be the new owner of this splendid object. In fact, since posting his question he's been quiet, so perhaps he's already on the way to pick it up.
Hi Tim -
Firstly it's a wonderful piece, beautiful made and enhanced by the exceptional inlaid panels ...
Mark, Johnshoe, William, Julia and John have given you some excellent opinions and personal thoughts ...
As with William, I have never been a dealer so my approach is very similar to his:-
Does something "move inside" upon first seeing the piece? If it does, then is it what it what you think it is, ie authentic and not a later/modern copy? If it is genuine, will it complement/enhance the collection? If yes, can I offered it, if from a dealer (usually negotiable, to some extent) or how much am I willing to bid upto, if at auction ...
We all remember the pieces/objects that 'slipped away', for what ever reason - some of which we regret more then others ...
I'am sure you will make the right choice, either way ...
Stuart
@julia You bring up a very important aspect...my wife. She consented, but not without some strings (well within her rights).
The cabinet I currently have in the livingroom is a 19th c. Vietnamese MOP inlaid rosewood display cabinet. Quite a rare and nice looking piece in its own right. So, the Japanese cabinet will be about the same width, a bit deeper, but much taller by 2 1/2 feet, but I have 9 foot ceilings (old house). So, it will fit, but my wife LOVES that MOP cabinet, so I'll have to find another room for that cabinet (wack-a-mole).
@imperialfinegems I like your mathematical approach, and your numbers are pretty close to actual cost.
@ming1449 @charlotte @johnshoe @julia @william @john-steward
As many of you pointed out, as a collector, it shouldn't be about the money, and it is not, entirely. I know that there is nearly no chance for future resale of this piece, and I'm okay with that in most cases, but I have never indulged myself in this dollar amount - I'm feeling strangely guilty.
So, it is not about having the money, but the fact is that I've never spent this kind of money on myself.
Sure, there have been many high-dollar expenses throught my life, but the whole family shared the benefit of those expenses (a car, my son's wedding, anniversary, family vacation, etc). This one is all me, and it feels weird. Does that make sense?
I have never spent anywhere near this amount on myself, not even $500 I'd guess, unless there was the upside of selling a piece down the road.
Anyhow, I'm glad you've all enjoyed the beauty of this piece, and I greatly appreciate all the input. I'll need to mentally digest this, but I'm definately leaning towards the purchase, and later in life if my kids/grandaughter doesn't want it, I could always donate it to a museum.
@greeno107 I bet someone here might consider buying it from you down the road, so you could already have some potential customers.
@greeno107 by saying you're "leaning towards the purchase" do you mean that you're still trying to decide which day this week you're going to go pick it up?
@johnshoe LOL! Not exactly.
I'm flying up to see my Dad and his wife on Friday. They're in their mid-80's and his wife just got a pace maker....it's been a bit challenging for them. So, if there's an unfortunate event of her passing due to complications, then I've got a whole nother expense to endure.
But, I agree with you.... one cannot just walk away from a piece like this. It would be considered collector's malpractice. How could I live with myself if the piece ended up in a home where it was not appreciated for the true work of art that it is? Answer: I couldn't.
So, barring any unforseen situation that would further strain me financially, I'm going to call the owner and confirm if he is willing to hold the cabinet if I send him a check, then pick it up next week when I'm back from Boston.
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