As part of our Japanese works of art collection we are delighted to offer this outstanding Meiji Period 1868-1912, gold lacquer and shibayama decorated box formerly in the collection of Michael Tomkinson, the exterior of the box is finely decorated with landscape scenes each housed within a silver frame, the outer borders contrasted with a speckled nashi lacquer ground , each landscape painstakingly decorated in various types of gold lacquer build up resulting in numerous textured surfaces and colours, the artist or artists unknown have then painstakingly worked the lacquer panels in the finest detail using pearl and shells in the Shibayama technique. Upon lifting the lid you are faced with an absolute delight, the artist has painstakingly decorated the inner lid with a majestic scene of Pigeons feeding beneath willow and Prunus blossom trees as well as decorating the inner tray with a scene of Ducks coming in to land on a lakeside setting , once again all components fully lined in silver to protect the lacquer components, this surely has to be one of the finest pieces of lacquer ware of this type to reside in the world famous Tomkinson collection . The box is simply breathtaking and once in the hand it is so difficult to put down without gazing in awe at the literally hundreds of hours of work involved in its manufacture.
Literature : Michael Tomkinson 1841-1921 gained a worldwide reputation as a collector of Japanese works of art which he displayed at his home in Kidderminster. His collection was eventually published in two volumes in 1898 although he continued to collect long after these first productions, his pieces now highly coveted by Japanese aficionados and can be traced to numerous high class collections around the globe.
Provenance :
Ex Michael Tomkinson catalogue number 768 and by descent.
Condition report :
Fine condition with minimal wear and no losses.
Approximate Sizes :
Length : 8 1/2″ 21.5 cm
Depth : 6 7/8″ 17.5 cm
Height : 4″ 10 cm
Free worldwide delivery and a certificate of authenticity are included in the price of this item.