Fine Lacquer Kogo 'Incense Box'

Late Edo (1614 - 1868) period incense storage box in stacked, double fan design. Fans have bamboo and plum design with a chrysanthemum crest. Silver metal rim and seat, nashiji (gold...

Removable bronze top, with gold drip pattern at top. Cresting ocean waves on bottom with raised silver sea spray.

A delightful and intricately decorated lacquer box for storing incense, kogo, in the form of a traditional farm house, Meiji period (1864 - 1912), late 19th century, Japan. The kogo, or small box for storing incense, takes the whimsical form of a traditional Japanese home, minka, with the removable high, thatched roof serving as the cover for the box. The exterior of the home has been painstakingly decorated in maki-e lacquer against a matte black lacquer ground. Traditional shoji doors, bamboo blinds...

A lacquered wood box with lid from Japan circa 19th century Meiji Period. The finely decorated box was used to store paper slips and small documents on the desk. It is overall finished with black lacquer (kuro) with sparse Mura-Nashiji effect outside and on the top surface of the lid, there are three Komainu, (sometimes known as Shishi or Japanese lions) frolicking and forming a circle in lively motion. Komainu are auspicious animals in Japanese cultures in both Shinto and Buddhism tradition. Originally from China, these animals symbolizes guardians to ward off evil spirits. Hiramaki-e was used in combination with carving and combing to render the lions with various surface textures. A gilt border with an slight angle was given to the lid and even the thin band is decorated with miniature floral scrolls. The interior of the box was finished in a dense nashiji. Underneath the lid, a cluster of peonies open lavishly by two gentle mounts. Takamaki-e (high relief) in both gold and silver were...