Page 90 - Sothebys Fine Japanese Art London, November 2018

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A SUZURIBAKO [WRITING BOX] AN IMPERIAL PRESENTATION PROVENANCE
MEIJI PERIOD, LATE 19TH/EARLY SUZURIBAKO [WRITING BOX], Emperor Meiji,
20TH CENTURY MEIJI PERIOD, EARLY 20TH Count Hisamoto Hijikata
蒔絵硯箱、明治時代、19世紀後期 – 20世紀初期 CENTURY LITERATURE
菊御紋入蒔絵硯箱、明治時代、20世紀初期
the rectangular box with over-hanging cover Stephen Little and Edmund J. Lewis View of
decorated in gold, silver and black hiramaki-e and the large, square box with overhanging cover the Pinnacle, Japanese Lacquer writing boxes
takamaki-e and silver and mother-of-pearl inlays decorated in gold hiramaki-e on a gold nashiji (Hawaii, 2011), no.75 pp.194-195
with crows and herons above pines and other ground, designed on the exterior and interior with Hijikata was a classic Meiji-period loyalist who
foliage in moonlight and inlaid with the characters large, imperial sixteen-petal chrysanthemum had always supported the Imperial family. On
koe [call] and yofukaki [the night is still deep], medallions Kinji in low relief interspersed this occasion he was being honoured for his
with fitted storage box with medallions outlined in gold lacquer and appointment as State Minister with Second
12.2 cm, 4⅘ in. silhouetted on the nashiji ground, fitted in the Middle Rank. He was also Councillor of the
lower section of the box with a silver-mounted Bureau of Imperial Decorations, and was himself
LITERATURE
implement tray which holds a brush and an decorated by the governments of almost every
Stephen Little and Edmund J. Lewis View of the ink cake holder, and on the left in fitted slots, European nation.
Pinnacle, Japanese Lacquer writing boxes (Hawaii, a paper knife and paper-pricker, each of the 28.9 cm, 11⅜ in.
2011), no.66 pp.166-167 utensils in identical mounts lacquered with gold
The suzuribako’s storage box is signed Urushi-sho chrysanthemum scroll on a nashiji ground, the ‡ £ 80,000-100,000
€ 90,500-113,000 US$ 106,000-132,000
Hyōkan [the lacquer worker Hyōkan], with a seal pricker and knife blade silver, the large mizuire
reading Urushi-sho Okada Hyōkan [the lacquer of silver cast as a pair of joined chrysanthemums
worker Okada Hyōkan); and maki-e-shi Mitsutaka which resemble the two types of chrysanthemum
[the lacquer master Mitsutaka], with a seal medallions ornamenting the box, the large
reading Mitsutaka. rectangular inkstone placed in the central section
of the tray lacquered on the sides and base in
‡ £ 10,000-15,000 nashiji and fundame rims, the rims of the cover
€ 11,300-16,900 US$ 13,200-19,800 in silver-glit; wood storage box inscribed on the
cover that the box was presented by the Emperor
Meiji to Count Hisamoto Hijikata on January 4,
1911 (Meiji 44.1.4)

Count Hisamoto Hijikata

88 SOTHEBY’S