Meiji Gilt Bronze & Cloisonné Enamel Musical Jewelry Box, Japan, circa 1900

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Meiji Gilt Bronze & Cloisonné Enamel Musical Jewelry Box, Japan, circa 1900

About the Item

A Rare Meiji Gilt Bronze & Cloisonné Enamel Musical Jewelry Box. Japan, Circa 1900 ________________________________________________ The Meiji era is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization by Western powers to the new paradigm of a modern, industrialized nation state and emergent great power, influenced by Western scientific, technological, philosophical, political, legal, and aesthetic ideas. As a result of such wholesale adoption of radically different ideas, the changes to Japan were profound, and affected its social structure, internal politics, economy, military, and foreign relations. The period corresponded to the reign of Emperor Meiji. It was preceded by the Keio era and was succeeded by the Taisho era, upon the accession of Emperor Taisho. The rapid modernization during the Meiji era was not without its opponents, as the rapid changes to society caused many disaffected traditionalists from the former samurai class to rebel against the Meiji government during the 1870s, most famously Saigo Takamori who led the Satsuma Rebellion. However, there were also former samurai who remained loyal while serving in the Meiji government, such as Ito Hirobumi and Itagaki Taisuke. ________________________________________________ Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects with colored material held in place or separated by metal strips or wire, normally of gold. In recent centuries, vitreous enamel has been used, but inlays of cut gemstones, glass and other materials were also used during older periods; indeed cloisonné enamel very probably began as an easier imitation of cloisonné work using gems. The resulting objects can also be called cloisonné. The decoration is formed by first adding compartments (cloisons in French) to the metal object by soldering or affixing silver or gold as wires or thin strips placed on their edges. These remain visible in the finished piece, separating the different compartments of the enamel or inlays, which are often of several colors. Cloisonné enamel objects are worked on with enamel powder made into a paste, which then needs to be fired in a kiln. If gemstones or colored glass are used, the pieces need to be cut or ground into the shape of each cloison. In antiquity, the cloisonné technique was mostly used for jewellery and small fittings for clothes, weapons or similar small objects decorated with geometric or schematic designs, with thick cloison walls. In the Byzantine Empire techniques using thinner wires were developed to allow more pictorial images to be produced, mostly used for religious images and jewellery, and by then always using enamel. This was used in Europe, especially in Carolingian and Ottonian art. By the 14th century this enamel technique had been replaced in Europe by champlevé, but had then spread to China, where it was soon used for much larger vessels such as bowls and vases; the technique remains common in China to the present day, and cloisonné enamel objects using Chinese-derived styles were produced in the West from the 18th century. In Middle Byzantine architecture cloisonné masonry refers to walls built with a regular mix of stone and brick, often with more of the latter. The 11th or 12th-century Pammakaristos Church in Istanbul is an example.

Dimensions:
Height: 8 in (20.32 cm)Width: 5.63 in (14.31 cm)Depth: 4.25 in (10.8 cm)
Style:
Meiji (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Bronze,Enamel,Metal,Ormolu,Paint,Hand-Crafted,Hand-Painted
Place of Origin:
Japan
Period:
Early 20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1900
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Pasadena, CA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU7847234620862