Pair of Japanese Lacquer and Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Knife Urns, circa 1800-1815

A pair of fine Japanese export lacquered cutlery boxes Kyoto or Nagasaki, late 18th century H. 33.5 x W. 24 x D. 21 cm The bow-fronted boxes with sloping lids flat at the top are made of hinoki wood (Cypress), coated with Japanese paper and decorated in lacquer with scattered gold birds and flowers on a nashiji background. The Japanese mounts are made of copper and both boxes still have internal partitions to keep the cutlery upright. The form of these boxes is similar to a pictorial-style knife box in the collection of the Groninger Museum (inv. 1989- 347), dated between 1730 and 1780, but the style of the decoration is more like that on a knife box in the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem (inv. E62271), which was brought to Salem by James Devereux, Captain of the Franklin, in 1799. Provenance: Henriette Jeane Christine van Neukirchen, called Nyvenheim (1807- 1849) and Nicolaas Johan Steengracht van Oostcapelle (1806-1866), thence by descent to the last owners, Ludolphine Emilie baronesse Schimmelpenninck van der Oye (1944) married in 1969 to Roland Daniel van Haersma Buma (1944), the last residents of castle Duivenvoorden near Voorschoten and the great-great-granddaughter of Nicolaas Johan Steengracht van Oostcapelle. There is no evidence that Nicolaas Johan himself, or any of his or his wife’s ancestors had ever been in Japan. However, Nicolaas’ grandfather (Nicolaas Steengracht, 1754-1840) was a director of both the VOC and WIC (West Indies Company...

A Japanese export lacquer tripod table with feet shaped as bats Nagasaki, 1850-1860 H. 73 x diam. 108 cm The six-lobbed top is decorated with reverse-painted mother-of-pearl in a sprawling motif of plum blossom, bamboo, and peonies, surrounded by fluttering sparrows enhanced by details in maki-e. The table, made to appeal to a foreign audience, incorporates a curious mixture of seasonal references. In addition to the decoration of foliage from late winter and spring, the column is decorated with grapes and a rabbit pounding rice, both Japanese motifs for autumn and the month of September. The feet, shaped like bats that almost appear to wake up from hibernation, symbolise luck and happiness in Japan. The present flamboyant Nagasaki-style table is depicted in the Asada workshop drawings of 1856. These drawings, titled Aogai makie hiinagata hikae (memorandum of designs for lacquer with inlaid pearl...

A fine Japanese export red lacquer box with Masonic symbols Kyoto/Nagasaki, 1800-1820 Red lacquer decorated with scattered flowers and flying birds with long tails in gold, wit...

An extremely fine and important Japanese lacquer cabinet with gilt-copper mounts for the European market Edo period, late 17th century The pictorial style decorated rectangular...

A Japanese Nagasaki export lacquer box with mother-of-pearl depiction of the Amsterdam ‘Trippenhuis’ Edo-period, circa 1830 H. 12.5 x W. 24 x D. 15 cm ? The house depicted on t...

An important Japanese lacquer box with a view of The 'Nieuwe Stadsherberg Van Amsterdam Nagasaki, Edo-period, 1830-1840 The black lacquered wood box, decorated in gold and inla...

Rare pair of Japanese Nagasaki Export lacquered wood knife boxes with mother-of-pearl inlay of flowers and birds, now converted to letter boxes. The boxes were converted to letter b...

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Victorian English 9-carat yellow gold and mother of pearl handled butter knife, boxed, an addition to our diverse flatware collection. This exceptional antique Victorian 9-karat gold butter knife has a sabre style knife blade, with a broad incurved shaped form. The anterior face of the concave curved blade is ornamented with a segmented panel of impressive bright cut engraved foliate ornamentation, all on a matte background. The reverse surface of the blade is plain, apart from the feature hallmarks. This antique knife retains the original, fine and impressive carved mother of pearl handle...

A most unusual pair of knife boxes. Beautiful decoration.

Sterling fruit knife with mother of pearl handle, etched back strap, marked from his Godfather 1894 with hallmarks. In original box marked "GWNAE THOMPSON, LTD JEWELERS." Period: circa 1890 Origin: England Size: Knife 3 1/2" extended 6" In England silver fruit knives...

This fine pair of Classic proportions have many marks of quality. The timber used on the sloped fronts has been carefully selected with figured grain conforming to the shape of the h...

Pair antique English mahogany knife and fork cutlery urns / boxes, Circa 1910-1920. Exceptional size.