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Barnebys HQ
Brahegatan 10
BOX 5038
114 37 Stockholm
All auctions / Ancient Art / Japan Lacquered wood
JAPANESE INRO WITH TWO CRANES — KAJIKAWA FAMILY — EDO PERIOD, 19th CENTURY Elegant Japanese inrō with three compartments, signed Kajikawa saku and bearing the red seal Ei, attributed to the famous Kajikawa lacquerers family, whose several generations worked notably for the Tokugawa shogunate. On a deep roiro black lacquer background, remarkably polished, unfolds a delicate aquatic landscape animated by two cranes. The first, standing on a golden shore, raises its long neck toward stretched clouds; on the reverse, the second descends in flight, wings wide open. The movement of the birds, the fine ripples of the water, and the discreteness of the landscape give this composition a beautiful visual balance. The décor combines several traditional Japanese lacquer techniques: hiramaki-e, takamaki-e, kirigane inlays and gold dusting. The touches of red on the cranes’ heads subtly enhance the whole. According to sale documentation, the inner compartments are adorned with nashiji, with gilded fundame borders. The inrō is accompanied by its cord and two ojime: one in dyed bone, delicately pierced, the other in copper, decorated with a stylized flower and bearing a signature published as Harumasa. Their contemporaneity with the inrō is not established. A particularly interesting British provenance This example has documentary history dating back to the 1960s, with two early public sales in London, then its acquisition by the Tomkinson family, heirs of a significant tradition of collecting Japanese art. The precise historical references and the corresponding documents appear in the Mimosa certificate accompanying the work. The association of the signature Kajikawa saku and the Ei seal finds documented parallels in several museum collections, notably those of the Walters Art Museum and the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, without allowing the designation of a single artist. Condition: good old condition. Minor scratches and signs of use, small losses localized to the kirigane, discreet wear on some edges and tiny indentations on the lid. Excellent overall lacquer sheen, with a largely preserved decoration. Height: 7.5 cm. Width: 5.2 cm. Mimosa descriptive certificate of description and attribution accompanying the object.
Estimate:£3,984.44
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Estimate:
£3,984.44
OCT 17 | 10:00 PM
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