A Unique pair Japanese Lacquer Miniature Jewellery Cabinets
Edo period, 17th century
Black lacquered wood (Urushi), decorated with gold lacquer (Maki-e) and gilt copper mounts.
H. 18.5 x W. 16.9 x D. 16.9 cm
Japanese lacquered cabinets (ventó) made for the Portuguese initially either had a fall-front or a single door. After the Portuguese had been forced out of Japan and the Dutch were the only Westerners allowed to trade in Japan, the style of these cabinets changed. One door or fall-front was replaced by two doors, mother of pearl was used much less and the decoration became more pictorial as in the present one, depicting flowers in a landscape. These present cabinets are unique in their very small size. Behind the two doors it nevertheless has seven tiny drawers, probably designed to hold jewels or other small objects of value.
Black lacquered wood (Urushi), decorated with gold lacquer (Maki-e) and gilt copper mounts.
H. 18.5 x W. 16.9 x D. 16.9 cm
Japanese lacquered cabinets (ventó) made for the Portuguese initially either had a fall-front or a single door. After the Portuguese had been forced out of Japan and the Dutch were the only Westerners allowed to trade in Japan, the style of these cabinets changed. One door or fall-front was replaced by two doors, mother of pearl was used much less and the decoration became more pictorial as in the present one, depicting flowers in a landscape. These present cabinets are unique in their very small size. Behind the two doors it nevertheless has seven tiny drawers, probably designed to hold jewels or other small objects of value.
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A fine Japanese lacquer cabinet with gilt-copper mounts for the European market
The rectangular cabinet with two hinged doors opening to reveal ten various sized drawers, decorated on the doors with a teapot and a potted shrub in gold, silver and red hiramaki-e, takamaki-e, hirame and nashiji, the sides with birds perched on trees, on a black ground, with the inside of the door with sprinkled gold, nashiji and silver inlaid flower-petals, the drawer fronts decorated with flowers, trees and small pavilions in rocky landscapes (sansui), in gold hiramaki-e and takamaki-e.