Small rectangular box and cover. The box is made of wood covered in a thin layer of clear lacquer on outside and inside. The top of the cover is decorated on the outside with the two circles (mon). One is filled with a gohei (ceremonial wand with paper streamers), the other with an open and closed umbrella in kiji makie technique (applying makie lacquer decoration to natural wood)...

Small rectangular box and cover. The core of the box made of wood covered in brown textured lacquer on the outside and red lacquer on the inside. The top of the kiri-wood cover is decorated on the outside with the fruit of a hozuki (Chinese lantern plant) in kiji makie technique (applying makie lacquer decoration to natural wood). The fruit is bright red takamakie, while the husk of the fruit is done in gradating red and gold takamakie...

Antique Japanese hokai, lidded container for Ka-awase shell game. This unusual square shaped hokai has a footed base and it's sides are fashioned with many horizontal ridges. With faceted corners and intricate gold and black lacquer. A flower and lattice motif with reserves of birds and young pine shoots. The interior of the box is lacquered a dark brownish black. Extensive gilt copper hardware with incised details of scrolling vines...

Phoenix soar among golden clouds on this amazing Lacquer box made for holding a Tsuzumi drum by Miura Meiho (1900-1975) enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Houn Maki-e Tuzumi Bako. It is bound with silk chord which is held to the box with solid silver hardware. Inside it is lined with brocade. The box is 30.5 x 24 x 24.5 cm (12 x 9-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches) an is in perfect condition.

A beautiful hand crafted box by Nitta Kiun enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Tanzaku Bako (Poem Card Box). It is 40 x 11 x 7 cm and in perfect condition. Nitta Kiun was born in Wakayama in 1944, and studied woodcraft under his father, establishing his own woodcraft studio in 1980. He held his first Solo exhibition in 1985, and was accepted for the first time the following year into the Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Crafts Exhibition...

Small box and cover made of very thinly cut keyaki (Zelkova) wood, in oblong shape with rounded corners. The domed cover is decorated in black polished lacquer, black ishime lacquer, gold lacquer inlaid with small pieces of mother-of-pearl. An open folding fan wraps around the surface of the cover, continuing onto the sides, decorated with parting clouds, showing silhouettes of birds flying over waves.

Inside, the surface is covered in thin brown lacquer, allowing the wood grain to show...

Small box and cover. The base of the box made of kiri wood (Paulownia), the cover made of kiri and keyaki (Zelkova) wood, diagonally joined together. The outside of the cover is decorated with two black shijimi fresh-water clam shells in kiji makie technique (applying makie lacquer decoration to natural wood)...

Eight-sided, flared shaped lacquer kobako box, following the decoration on the lid depicting a basket of flowers, composed of peonies and chrysanthemums in gold takamaki-e and hiramaki-e lacquer on a nashi-ji background. The edge is decorated with cherry blossoms in gold and silver takamaki-e. Interior and base in nashi-ji.

Japan – Edo period, 18th century
Height: 1.9 in / 4.8 cm – width: 6.1 in / 15.5 cm – depth: 3.5 in / 9 cm

An exquisite lacquered box covered in gold powder prominently bearing the imperial crest given as a gift to Baron Nakamura Satoru in Meiji 44 (1911). According to the inside of the lid this box was created for the Meiji emperor and given in gratitude to the Baron for his support in creating the Keanfu memorial for fallen soldiers of the Russo-Japanese war...

On a fundame lacquer base, the decoration, on one side, black and red, of a rooster, hen and chicks under bamboo with the sea in the background and on the other side a fisherman's hut by the sea in front of the imposing presence of Mount Fuji. The lacquer work is particularly subtle in hira and taka maki-e. The interior of the compartments is nashiji lacquer. The ojime is made of malachite. Signed: Nikkosai. Height: 8.4 cm.

Rectangular black and gold lacquer kobako box decorated with pine trees in a mountain landscape in takamaki-e, kirigane and hiramaki-e lacquer. Background in nashi-ji lacquer. Surmounted pewter border. Fitted with two grip rings.

Japan – Edo period (1603-1868), 18th century
Width: 2.7 in (0.8 cm) – depth: 3.1 in (8.8 cm) – height: 1.2 in (3.2 cm)

Quadrangular kobako box decorated with flowers in gold and blue lacquer with aogai inlay. Lid and sides in fundame lacquer, underside and interior in nashi-ji lacquer. Inside, a removable tray with gold fundame borders. Fitted with two gripping rings.

Provenance : Docteur Mène collection.

Doctor Édouard Mène (1833-18..?) was a doctor and vice-president of the Franco-Japanese Society...

Suzuribako box (empty) in black lacquer. Gold maki-e decoration of a river bordered by peonies, one with red highlights. The edges of the lid are in gold lacquer. Nashi-ji interior.

Japan – Meiji era (1868-1912)
Height: 1.8 in (4.7 cm) – width : 8.3 in (21.3 cm) – dept: 10 in (25.5 cm)

Round in shape in the spirit of a kobako, this rare box in 2 parts in fundame lacquer represents a butsudan (small portable temple) inside which there are, very finely carved, a Buddha on the lotus and 2 apsaras. On the lids lotus leaves seem to fly.

The last work by this important artist, a five piece stacking box decorated in iconic Dragonflies by Okada Yuji enclosed in a custom made wooden storage box. This piece was completed in 2022, shortly before he passed away. The dragonflies are performed in colored lacquer and gold powder with carved and polished Yellow and White Oyster-shell eyes. They fly over a swirling sea of Mother of Peral flakes. Inside is all Nashiji powdered gold...

Coxcomb decorates the deeply carved surface of this box covered in green and red lacquer outside, gilded with gold inside in the Kamakura-bori carving tradition. It is 22 x 25 x 5 cm and comes enclosed in a period wooden box...

A box for keeping incense – kogo – decorated with a carriage used by court nobles and members of the Imperial family of the past in dense gold dust sprinkle on a black lacquer background. The sky sprinkled with clouds of nashiji. Insides with dense nashiji. The bottom section decorated with a rock surrounded by bamboo in gold togidashi and kao of tea master Hisada Soya. Silver rims.

Tiny signature in gold lacquer on the bottom: Gaho.

The kogo was made for the tea master Hisada So...

A very unusual lacquered Jubako stacking box in the shape of a water cauldron made for serving food at events and celebrations. It is finshed with metallic textured silver-black lacquer simulating old iron. The lid and base are shiny black lacquer, the interior coated in festive red. Cranes and turtles, symbols of longevity, populate the inside in gold. It is 20.5 cm (8 inches) diameter and comes enclosed in an age darkened period wood box titled Kamagata Kashiki. There are two repairs to the...