Page 86 - Sothebys Fine Japanese Art London, November 2018

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A SUZURIBAKO [WRITING BOX], A SUZURIBAKO [WRITING BOX]
MEIJI PERIOD, LATE 19TH-EARLY EDO PERIOD, 19TH CENTURY
20TH CENTURY SIGNED ZESHIN
蒔絵螺鈿硯箱、明治時代、19世紀後期 – 20世紀初期 蒔絵硯箱、江戸時代、19世紀、銘 是真
the rectangular box with overhanging cover and canted edge, the paulownia wood box with rounded corners and flush fitting
decorated in gold hiramaki-e and takamaki-e, hirame and cover, decorated in gold, hiramaki-e and ishime, with morning
inlaid in mother-of-pearl on a seigai-ha ground, with a dragon glory vine, with withered leaves tied to a bamboo stalk, seeds
chasing a flaming pearl among clouds, the three-clawed scattered to the ground, on the left hand side the footprint of a
dragon, with finely detailed golden scales, appears within bird, further footprints on the underside of the cover, the water
gold clouds above finely drawn waves in dark red lacquer, dropper in the form of two lotus leaves the slate suzuri with
the dragon and clouds rendered in gold and iroe-takamaki-e, fundame rim
kirigane, kimpun and aogai, with glass inlays in the dragon’s
eyes LITERATURE
25.3 cm, 10 in. Stephen Little and Edmund J. Lewis, View of the Pinnacle,
Japanese Lacquer writing boxes (Hawaii, 2011) no.69 p 170-171
LITERATURE 20.9 cm, 8¼ in.
Stephen Little and Edmund J. Lewis, View of the Pinnacle,
Japanese Lacquer writing boxes (Hawaii, 2011) no.59 p 176-177 ‡ £ 30,000-40,000
€ 33,800-45,100 US$ 39,500-53,000
The box clearly shows the influence of Shibata Zeshin (1807-
1891)
‡ £ 8,000-10,000
€ 9,100-11,300 US$ 10,600-13,200

113 (interior)
84 SOTHEBY’S