A Gold Lacquer Kodansu (Small Cabinet)

Of standard rectangular form, the rich kinji ground sumptuously decorated predominantly in shades of gold hiramaki-e and takamaki-e with slight red-lacquer details, profuse highlights of e-nashiji and kirikane , with embellishments of okibirame gold-foil mosaic, depicting scenes from Hatsune (The First Warbler) chapter 23 of Genji monogatari (The Tale of Genji), the exterior decorated with a continuous scene of the garden and the veranda of the Rokujo mansion sheltered beneath the canopy of pine trees set among rocks on a river, overhanging with flowering plum, the top surface inlaid in gold high relief with an uguisu (Japanese warbler) perched on a bamboo fence, the pair of hinged doors with a door catch opening to reveal four drawers decorated with Mount Fuji looming above rapid waters, the inside of one door with two moored boats on a rocky pine shore, applied with two carrying handles, and silvered-metal mounts carved with scrolling foliage.

Estimate:£1,500

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