Description
Featuring Four Folding Panels
From our Japanese collection, we are delighted to introduce this Japanese Damascene Table Screen by Masamitsu. The Table Screen of petit form having rectangular vertical panels with domed tops mounted in a gilt brass frame. Each iron panel individually inlaid upon a black ground depicting four scenes, from left to right scene one depicts a bamboo shoot with foliage in both gold and silver, the second scene features a lakeside village in the shadow of Mount Fuji with a Torii gate in the foreground. The third scene again inlaid with beautiful strands of gold and silver features a dramatic thundering sky with lightening and rain while two people take cover under umbrellas. The fourth and final scene depicts a rooster perched in a cherry blossom tree with long cascading tail feathers. Below each individual scene there is a band of millefleur gold and silver inlaid cherry blossom flowers finishing the front of the table screen. The rear of the screen is finished in gilt brass with each panel engraved with sparrows, bamboo, Japanese Chen puppies and a Japanese camellia each flowing into the panel of the next. The Japanese Damascene Table Screen is signed to the rear 正光刀 for Masamitsu and dates to the Meiji period (1868-1912) circa 1900.
Damascene
is a surface decoration process that involves the inlaying of gold wire or silver into an undercut groove in the surface of bronze, iron or steel.
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.
Condition
Very Good – general wear and rubbing to the extremities consistent with age to the front, more rubbing to the gilt panels on the rear.
Measurements
16cm High x 29.5cm Wide – each panel 7.15cm (6.3 x 11.6 – 2.81)
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