Description
Inlaid with a gold and silver deer
From our Japanese collection we are pleased to offer this Japanese Damascene Box by Ashizuki. The Japanese Box of rectangular shape raised upon four shaped feet features a matt black ground worked beautifully with gold and silver nunome zogan. To the lid a deer looks up with a silver snout amongst inlaid gold foliage. To each long side birds are found playing around the mouth of a silver topped Mount Fuji while the two shorter sides are elegantly finished with a plain black ground. The base of the Japanese Box is signed with the stylised character marks for Ashizuki. Japanese Damascene Box by Ashizuki dates to the Japanese Meiji period (1868-1912).
Nunome Zogan (布目象嵌)
literally translates as “cloth inlay,”. It consists of first preparing a flat surface with crosshatched lines using a fine chisel to create a series of lines on the entire surface and in several directions to give it a texture that resembles woven cloth.
MEIJI PERIOD
was an era of Japanese history that spanned from 1868 to 1912. It was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people began to build a paradigm of a modern, industrialised nation state and emergent great power, influenced by Western countries and aesthetics. As a result of radically different ideas, the changes to Japan were profound and it affected the social structure, politics, economy, military, and foreign relations across the board. The period corresponded to the reign of Emperor Meiji and was preceded by the Keio era and was succeeded by the Taisho era.
Cultural Art during the Meiji Period was of particular interest to the government and they overhauled the art export market which in turn promoted Japanese arts via various world’s fairs, beginning in Vienna at the world fair in 1873. The government heavily funded the fairs and took an active role organising how Japan’s culture was presented to the world including creating a semi-public company named Kiritsu Kosho Kaisha (First Industrial Manufacturing Company). The Kiritsu Kosho Kaisha was used to promote and commercialise exports of Japanese art and established the Hakurankai Jimukyoku (Exhibition Bureau) to maintain quality standards. For the 1876 Centennial International Exhibition in Philadelphia, the Japanese government created a Centennial Office and sent a special envoy to secure space for the 30,000 items that would be displayed. The Imperial Household also took an active interest in arts and crafts, commissioning works by select artists to be given as gifts for foreign dignitaries further emphasising the high quality and importance of Japanese art. Just before the end of the 19th century in 1890, the Teishitsu Gigeiin (Artist to the Imperial Household) system was created to recognise distinguished artists. These artists were selected for their exceptionally high quality wares and talent in their own industry. Over a period of 54 years Seventy artists were appointed, amongst these were ceramicist Makuzu Kozan and cloisonné enamel artist Namikawa Yasuyuki.
Measurements
6cm High x 11.5cm Wide x 8.5cm Deep (2.36 x 4.5 x 3.35 Inches)
Condition
Very Good, antique related wear only
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