TOSHINAGA: A FUCHI AND KASHIRA WITH KANZANBy Nara Toshinaga, signed Toshinaga with kakihanJapan, Edo period (1615-1868)Of shibuichi with ishime ground, the kashira depicting kanzan with his scroll, laughing and pointing his finger, the fuchi decorated with a gnarly staff and bowl, signed TOSHINAGA and kakihan.LENGTH 38 cmWEIGHT 27.7 gCondition: Good condition with some associated wear.Provenance: Ex-collection Doctor Karl Florenz (1865-1939). Born in Erfurt, Karl Adolf Florenz was the founder of German Japanese studies and a translator of important Japanese classics. He became known for his work on Japanese history of literature. Florenz lived in Japan from 1888 until the outbreak of World War I. In 1889 he became a lecturer in German language and literature at the Imperial University of Tokyo, and in 1891 a full professor of German literature and comparative linguistics. In 1899, he became the first foreigner to be awarded the highest Japanese scholarly degree (Bungaku-Hakushi) for his translation of the Nihon shoki.