Kovels Antiques & Collecting: Mountain Art
By Terry and Kim Kovel
Mountain Art
August 11 is Mountain Day in Japan. It was first officially observed in 2016, but mountains have held extremely important roles in Japanese art and culture for much longer. Mount Fuji, Japan's highest mountain, is one of the country's most celebrated sights. Associated with deities in ancient times, it is a World Heritage Site today and draws crowds of tourists and climbers.
Mount Fuji may be in the background of this paneled screen, but its size and iconic appearance make its impact enormous. PHOTO CREDIT: Tremont Auctions
The eight-panel screen shown here, which sold for $248 at Tremont Auctions, depicts a landscape in ink on gold paper, dominated by Mount Fuji's iconic snow-capped peak. A group of figures walks along the foreground among hills, trees, and water. This is a procession of daimyo, regional feudal lords, making their way to Edo, the capital of Japan, renamed Tokyo in 1868. These processions were a popular subject in art, and long, paneled screens were an especially effective medium for depicting them.
These screens were still made after the Edo period; the screen shown dates to about 1900. Mount Fuji often appears in the background of these scenes, as it does here. In addition to the beauty and symbolism of the mountain itself, it offers a sense of scale, making the figures look small in comparison and indicating how long their journey was.
Q: I have a "Cox-Roosevelt Club" campaign button and would like to know its value. Could you please advise? It has photographs of both candidates' faces in blue and the words are in red.
A: If your button is authentic and in good condition, you have something extremely valuable. Political button collectors describe buttons from the 1920 Presidential campaign for James M. Cox and his running mate, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in terms like "holy grail," "unicorn," or "crown jewel." They are extremely rare. Relatively few were made, and even fewer have survived in perfect condition.
We recommend contacting a specialist in political memorabilia, like Hake's Auctions (hakes.com). In 2024, a 1-inch diameter Cox-Roosevelt Club button like yours sold at Hake's Auctions for more than $30,000! Details like size, manufacturer, and even positioning of the image are important. Turn your button around and check the curl (the part that meets the metal backing) for a manufacturer's name. The button that sold at Hake's was made by and marked for M.F. Shafer & Co. Looking at the curl is one of the easiest ways to spot a reproduction button; they are often marked with dates later than the campaign they picture or even the word "Reproduction" or "Repro."
TIP: Some types of fumes can damage paper. Don't store your collection near the kitchen, garage, barbecue pit, or freshly painted areas.
CURRENT PRICES
Fiesta, mixing bowl set, nesting, orange, yellow, green, flared lip, horizontal ridges, largest, 6 1/2 x 10 inches, three pieces, $75.
Disneyana, toy, sparkler, Mickey Mouse, black and white, Chein, 1930s, 5 1/2 inches, $215.
Store, sign, Old Fashion Ice Cream, light blue and black lettering, scrolling trim, cream ground, painted, wood, two-sided, frame, 24 x 51 inches, $300.
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