Silver
Size 25cm long, 47cm long with antennae
Meiji-Taisho period, ca. 1900-1920
With original signed box
Jizai okimono (articulated) silver lobster by Takase Kozan (1869 – 1934)
Takase Kozan is the most famous Jizai artist.
Tanaka Muneyoshi is his pupil. Kōzan worked in Kyoto. He was honored in 1911 when the Crown Prince purchased many of his metal insects’ okimono.
In the book of “Articulated iron figures of animals JIZAI OKIMONO” published by Ryokusho
Page64-65 23. Spiny lobster, there is a similar example made in copper.
Another highly important metal Jizai articulated work (a miniature Imperial Court Carriage/ Gosho-guruma) by Takase Kōzan with the tomabako which has the same seal Chōyōraku:
Mitsui Memorial Museum has a similar silver Jizai okimono of the Ise-ebi lobster by the same artist.