Antique Japanese lacquer suzuribako (calligraphy box) decorated with young pine shoots and a fruiting tachibana (wild orange) tree near a small stream. Gold maki-e lacquer on a dense gold nishiji ground. The underside of the lid has a continuing scene of the stream winding through rocks with sprouting bamboo in gold maki-e lacquer on a spars nishiji on black lacquer ground...

Fan-shaped kobako, decorated with clouds and wisterias in gold lacquer and kirigane on a silver background. The sides are decorated with a checked pattern in gold lacquer. The background and the inside are in nashi-ji lacquer.

Kobako (“little boxes”) are often adorned with harmonious decors and sceneries inspired by Japanese fauna and flora...

The Soma-Da school invented this style at the beginning of the 18th century. The color of the lacquer and the energetic design of the horses lead us to date this inro to the end of the 18th century. Below is glued a label referring to the prestigious collection of Doctor Mène which was dispersed in 1913 in Paris. This collection created around 1880 contained only exceptional objects...

Antique Japanese Lacquer arrow (ya) case. Mounted archery was the primary and most respected mode of Japanese warfare until the introduction of firearms in the 16th century. As a reflection of this, archery equipment was beautifully crafted of formed bamboo, lacquer work, and leather strapping. Decoration of blooming cherry blossoms "sakura fabuki" accented in gold lacquer.

Edo Age (Circa 1850's)

Size: 40 1/2" Long X 5 1/4" Wide X 5" High

Pair of cylindrical, footed, ribbed boxes with circular lids. The food container or game box is lacquered in black with 9 "mitsudome" mon pattern on four sides. The four feet are decorated with incised brass hard mounts and its lid and box are held together with original pale green silk cord tassels.

Meiji Age (1868 - 1912)

Dimensions: 13" height x 13.5" width

Antique Japanese inro with three compartments, made of wood with gold lacquer and inlaid with gold flecks. One side is decorated with a pair of cranes and sprouting pines. The other side of the inro depicts an ancient turtle who carries, on his back, a large rock formation. Out of the rock sprouts a plum tree, a pine tree and bamboo - together called Sho chiku bai or "The Three Friends of Winter". The inside of each compartment is cover with dense nishji lacquer (fine gold flecks)...

Japanese kogo, or incense container for tea ceremonies, in the form of a small bird with very fine maki-e or sprinkled gold lacquer exterior. Each feather of the bird is highly detailed in low relief maki-e lacquer. The pupils of the bird are done with very fine red lacquer for contrast. The interior of the box is finished in gold nashiji, sometimes called pear skin due to the resemblance to the Asian pear...

Japanese lacquer suzuribako or calligraphy writing box. The box is wood with lacquer, gold gilt sprinkled lacquer, and inlaid shell on the lid, adorned with scrolling leaves, floral medallions and motifs of sparrows. The box interior is red lacquer with gold lacquer patterns. The inside box contains an attached inkstone, a brush, and a small brass water dropper. Underneath is a shallow compartment for the storage of calligraphy papers...

Antique Japanese large lacquer document box decorated with a design of climbing clematis vines in full bloom. Gold maki-e lacquer with details in gold nishji lacquer on some of the leaves. All on a black lacquer ground. The sides of both the lid and body of the box are carved with a recessed area where reddish orange lacquer has been applied over a loose material, creating a woven texture. Hardware rings on the sides...

Japanese Negoro lacquer ritual server, dates from the 18th century with a spout from a bowl over a conical base, overall wear shows classic negoro red over black.

Berkeley Hills Estate
Dates from 18th century
Size H 6.75" x W 13" x D 9.625"

Antique Japanese rare gyosho bako (peddler's box) for a barber. A set of 3 separated boxes that fit together and can be easily carried. The largest box has 5 drawers with bronze hardware including hirute shaped drawer pulls and decorative peony back plates. The top of the box has 2 open compartments, a small covered compartment, and a handle for carrying. On the right side, a smaller box attaches onto the large box with 2 hooks...

Antique Japanese lacquer tebako (accessories box), made of lacquered wood with dense gold nishiji and a gold maki-e lacquer design of flowers, possibly clematis, on a vine. The rim is made of pewter and the interior is lacquered with a spars nishiji on a black lacquer ground. Comes with kiri wood tomobako.

Age: Tokogawa Era, early 18th century

Dimensions: 2" high x 2 7/8" wide x 2 7/8" wide

Antique Japanese fubako, box for holding letters. Made of lacquered wood with a design of young pine and blossoming plum branches. Both box and lid are decorated in maki-e gold and silver lacquer over a delicate nashiji on a black lacquer ground. The interior has clouds of dense gold nashiji and two mon on the underside of the lid.

Age: Edo Period (18th/19th century)

Dimensions: 10 1/4" long x 3 1/2" wide x 2 3/4" deep

Rectangular and flat lacquer Kobako (small box) representing a furoshiki knot seen from above. Fundame background, furoshiki in takamaki-e with floral pattern, inside the folds of the fabric with black and gold sayagata pattern with togidashi maki-e technique. The saya (or sayagata) pattern is composed of Chinese swastikas. This symbol, linked to Buddhism, represents qualities of intelligence, strength and peace...

Antique Japanese small, round, lidded box. Made with metal body covered with lacquer and decorated with a gold lacquer scene of a bridge and a weeping willow tree. Intricate raised machi-e details of waves and willow leaves. Delicate nashiji on the ground around the tree.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 3 1/4" wide x 7/8" high

The spider crosses a glimmering golden web wet with dewdrops of solid gold Hirame and inlayed mother of pearl, a stellar work by Okada Yuji enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The interior and base are glittering with gold Nashiji. Known for his depictions of small creatures, this is a perfect example of his work. It is 8 cm (just over 3 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.
Okada Yuji was born in Kyoto in 1948 and graduated with honors from the Kyoto Hiyoshi-ga-oka High S...

RIMPA SCHOOL INKSTONE CASE WITH BAMBOO FOREST IN MAKIE

Bold and refined gold and silver three-dimensional makie lacquer design with the black background in the style of 'Rimpa (Rinpa)' (ref. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/rinp/hd_rinp.htm). Edo period, Japan. 21.8 x 16.5 x 5 cm (8.58 x 6.49 x 1.96in). Some scratches in places and slight bend at lid due to age, but considered in generally very good condition for such aged lacquerware.


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Antique Japanese gold lacquer inro with a scene of a waterfall on one side and a sage on the other. The water crashes around rocks where chrysanthemums blossom. On the reverse, a sage sits among the flowers at the base of the falls. The inro case has 4 compartments with interiors covered in a dense nashiji lacquer. The ojime is made of red lacquer and is carved with a dragon. The netsuke is made of boxwood and carved in the shape of a seed pod. Signed.

Age: Early Meiji period (18...