Katsura Funakoshi

Arnold Herstand & Company, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 1989

This work is in very good condition overall. All separations in the wood are inherent to the properties of the camphor wood. There is a fine crack in the figure's left eye.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A marriage of realism and abstraction, Funakoshi's polychromed portraits epitomize poise and balance. Contemporary interpretations of the traditional portrait bust, these headed torsos are known for their stylized renderings and eerie undertones. Carved from camphor wood, Funakoshi finesses his sculptures as though they were marionettes, tirelessly sanding their planar faces and torsos until they become a mélange of textures, vibrant in their simplicity. Poignant expression of the human condition, these stylized renderings express a universality reminiscent of a Byzantine icons. "Some people say that in knowing oneself one may know the world....If I am able to see the world clearly by looking within myself, then I can make a statement concerning human existence through the depiction of a single person." (Funakoshi, Artist Statement)

Though he is one of the most celebrated Japanese sculptors, Funakoshi pilfers from the artistic traditions of both East and West. For Boys of Wisdom's tiny round marble eyeballs rest under the legacy of Modigliani's highly arched brows creating an ironic sense of realism. This stylization is further carried out in the intersecting planes of the face, a technique which harps back to Cubism's great masters who broke up the picture plane in an effort to bring our attention to detail. Our sitter's modeled face sprouts from a sturdy torso and pristine white shirt, painted flat with only buttons, a shirt pocket and collar defining its stark angular design. But our protagonist is not flawless. The artist has allowed for fine linear cracks to run though his subject's mass as if to remind us that he is a form in flux, constantly growing and changing. Funakoshi un-sanded and unpainted segments act as a signature for this poetic artist. They are a way of noting the process by which the figure came to be and whose hand was responsible for the details of its artistry.