A fine and elegant lacquer cabinet

Meiji period, late 19th century, Japan

L31 x W33.6 x H21.7 cm; 12.21 x 13.23 x 8.54 inches

Lavishly decorated overall using intricate lacquer techniques including gold and silver hiramaki-e, takamaki-e, nashiji, hirame and kirikane against a gyobu-nashiji ground with a rural landscape of buildings amongst hills and trees, a bridge over a river and ho-o birds amongst pine trees, silver fittings finely engraved wuth scrolling foliate, the two doors opening to reveal six variously-sized draawers decorated in iroe-togidashi-e with shippo-hanabishi and other geometric designs, the interioe of the doors showing the edge if a veranda and a formal garden behind a fence.

Similar Examples

A similar model of a cockerel in the collection of Marie Antoinette is illustrated Monika Kopplin, ‘Les lacques du Japan, Collections de Mair-Antoinette’, (Chateau de Versailles 2001), p.186, no.56