Japanese lacquer oblong storage box by Hiroshi Hayashi 林宏 (1967)

A small Japanese black and gold lacquer suzuribako (writing box) with cartwheels in water, by the artist Hattori Toshio (1943). Of rectangular form with rounded corners, bearing a lustrous rôiro ground throughout, the exterior sides of the box and exterior of the cover finely decorated in gold and little silver takamaki-e with cartwheels flowing in a dynamically executed body of water with many swirls and gushes as well as scattered dew drops, the interior tray fitted with a rectangular ink stone and silver suiteki (waterdropper). The underside signed ‘Toshi’. With the original wooden tomobako with hakogaki reading Namikuruma makie suzuribako (The writing box set, with a design of wheels in water), as well as a leaflet written in Japanese with the artist’s biography up to 1987. Hattori Toshio (b. 1943), art name Hattori Shunsho, was first selected for the Nitten exhibition in Showa 38 (1963). Since then, he has exhibited more than twenty times at the Nitten and other exhibitions, winning numerous prestigious awards. In 1995, he had an audience with Pope John Paul II and presented the Pope with a lacquer reading table. In 2004, he created the shelves for the guest room of the Kyoto State Guest House of the Government of Japan. He is a member of the Kyoto Crafts Artists Association, the Kyoto Lacquer...

Refined, tall two-panel byôbu (folding screen) completely adorned with ‘Wajima Ryûsaku’ lacquer by the Nitten award winning artist Mitsuo Takana (1956). Featuring five refined images inspired by woodblock prints from the famous series ‘Tôkaidô gojûsan tsugi’ (The fifty-three stations of the Tokaido road), like the 1st station Nihonbashi, the 10th station Hakone, and the 21st station Okabe. The design is executed in hiramaki-e (low-relief lacquer design) in shades of gold, silver, heightened by some multi-coloured details. Set on a shiny black lacquer substrate. Signed in red lacquer in the lower right corner. Including original signed & sealed wooden tomobako (storage box). The front with an inscription about the contents as described above. The inside: ‘Friend of the Nitten Exhibition Takana Mitsuo’ - Seal: ‘Hikari’. ‘Lacquer artist Wajima Ryûsaku’ - Seal: ‘Ryûsaku’. Mitsuo Takana was born 1956 in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture. He won several awards during exhibitions like: Ishikawa Contemporary Art Exhibition, Japan Artisans' Association Exhibition and the well-known Nitten Exhibition. Dimensions: Height 57.48 in/146 cm, Total width 66.92 in/170 cm (2 x 33.46 in/85 cm), Depth 1.10 in/2.8 cm. Weight 56.21 lb/25.5 kg. Wajima lacquerware...

This exquisite Meiji-period lacquer document box known as a ryoshibako showcases the meticulous artistry of maki-e, a technique of raised lacquer decoration. Adorned with gold and vi...

An antique jubako (stack boxes) with five tiers in an elongated octagon shape circa 19th century (end of Edo or beginning of Meiji period). jubako was traditionally used to store and...