Japanese Gilt Lacquer Kodansu Jewellery Cabinet - Meiji Period

This striking and fine black, gold & silver lacquer Japanese Meiji kodansu table cabinet showcases the intricate skills of Japanese craftsmen during the Meiji era (1868 €“ 30 Jul 1912). This cabinet likely dates to the earlier part of the Meiji era. The front is beautifully layered with fine and fluid maki-e gilt and lacquerwork. The sides, top & back of the cabinet have a chip carved repeating mon pattern, and the corners are made from delicate filagree. 

The artwork on this kodansu is of very high quality employing various sophisticated lacquering techniques. The cabinet is decorated in gold and silver takamaki-e (high relief maki-e) depicting prunus flowers blossoming from stone. The brass handles are cast in a mokku (melon) shape with butterfly backplates. 

The top sliding doors are intricately decorated with a silver inlaid crane taking flight over a traditional Japanese village. The traditional hinged door depicts silver inlaid geese flying over a ship in a quiet bay with rolling mountains in the background. 

The door opens to reveal three additional drawers decorated with maki-e butterflies and further butterfly decoration on the back of the door. The artist has created a mist effect - a Japanese technique called Nashiji lacquering. Nashiji is a technique where small gold and silver flakes are sunken into the lacquer. The lacquer is in exceptional condition for its age and gold has been applied using the maki-e technique of sprinkling gold powder onto the lacquer design whilst wet.

The Meiji era was a period of great change in Japan as it opened its ports to the West and transitioned from a feudal society to a modern nation-state. An appetite for Japonisme seized the West and as the foreign market grew the Meiji government actively promoted and funded the production and export of Japonisme work. Very few of the most outstanding works like this cabinet remained in Japan as they were mostly exported. 

Condition:
Restored in our Wiltshire workshops using traditional Japanese techniques.
The door hinges have historic repairs with screws that could not be removed without detriment to the cabinet.
Some losses to silver filigree (visible in photographs).
Some butterfly handle plates are missing (visible in photographs). 

From Japan

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