Japanese 'double gourd' lacquer suzuri’bako (writing box) by Hara Yôyûsai 原羊遊斎

Superb rectangular ‘Rinpa School’-style black lacquer suzuri’bako (writing box) with a slightly arched well-fitted overhanging cover with rounded corners. The lid with a design of a gosho’guruma (ox-drawn carriage for Heian-era nobles) featuring golden hiramaki-e (low-relief lacquer design) and takamaki-e (high-relief lacquer design), inlays of lead and shiny mother-of-pearl (raden). The design continues along the sides. The reverse of the lid decorated with two large curving pine trees (matsu) executed in the same way, but also with intricate dots of tiny pieces of inlaid blue mother-of-pearl along the golden trunk. The interior shaped to hold various scholar’s accessories, including a partially gold lacquered inkstone (suzuri) and a bronze waterdropper (suiteki) shaped like a mythical minogame. The interior inscribed ‘Hokkyô Kôrin zô’ (Made by Hokkyô Kôrin). Referring to the design being in style of the master Ogata Kôrin, but the actual lacquer artist is unknown. It is a homage to Kôrin by an artist that followed the school of Rinpa. Including black lacquer wooden tomobako (tomobako). The Rinpa School was a key part of the Edo period revival of indigenous Japanese artistic interests described by the term yamato-e. Paintings, textiles, ceramics, and lacquerwares were decorated by Rinpa artists with vibrant colours applied in a highly decorative and patterned manner. Favoured themes, which often contained evocative references to nature and the seasons, were drawn from Japanese literature, notably The Tale of Genji, The Tales of Ise...

Superb rectangular black lacquer tebako (box for personal accessories) with a slightly domed well-fitted lid. The lid has a continuous soft-tone multicoloured hiramaki-e (low-relief...

Uncommon ecru lacquer tea caddy (natsume) with a nice golden hiramaki-e (low-relief design) of cart wheels submerged in a wild swirling stream. The design ...

Exceptional Japanese rectangular gold lacquer tebako (box for personal accessories) with a slightly domed well-fitted lid and raised by four low bracket feet. The lid finely carved with pointed shapes as if it is covered by folded papers. On top of this embossed surface it is decorated with gold and silver hiramaki-e (low-relief design) and takamaki-e (high-relief design) depicting a wild winding river landscape with along the waterfront...

A wonderful Japanese lacquer incense box, kogo, with a design of plovers in flight, late Momoyama or early Edo Period, circa 1600, Japan. The small box, called a kogo, was used to s...

A spectacular Japanese maki-e lacquer lidded box, possibly a writing box, suzuribako, decorated with images of folding fans, ogi, Edo Period, earl...

DEPICTING BISHAMON ONE OF THE SEVEN LUCKY GODS From our Japanese Satsuma collection, we are delighted to offer this Japanese Satsuma Kogo by Taizan. The Satsuma Kogo of petit circul...

Late Edo (1614 - 1868) period incense storage box in stacked, double fan design. Fans have bamboo and plum design with a chrysanthemum crest. Silve...