Antique Japanese Maki-e Lacquer Box Gold Floral Karakusa Tebako Meiji 19th C

Description

About This Item:

Antique Japanese Maki-e Lacquer Covered Box (Tebako / Kobako)
Late Edo to Meiji period (19th century), unsigned.
A richly decorated lacquer box with a deep lift-off lid and a fitted shallow inner tray. The dark brown/black lacquer ground is covered overall in dense gold maki-e, using two tones of gold - bright kin and a warm copper-gold - to depict a bold, continuous design of stylized blossoms and broad, veined leaves scrolling through flowing karakusa (arabesque foliage), in the manner of peony / hosoge floral arabesque. The work combines flat hira-maki-e with fundame / sabiji shading and fine hairline kebori engraving on the leaf veins. The interior of the body and the inner tray are finished in black lacquer; the underside is plain lacquer.
Dimensions: approx. 16.5 x 10 x 11 cm (6.5 x 3.9 x 4.3 in). Weight: 298 g (item only). Three parts: outer lid, body, and fitted inner tray.
Ships from Japan with tracking.

Condition:

Used, antique. The exterior gold maki-e is bright and very well preserved with good gloss. Please note: the INTERIOR base of the box has a large area of lacquer loss / flaking exposing the ground (clearly shown in the photos), and the inner tray has a few small losses. There is also fine surface crazing/crackle to the lacquer in places, minor surface scratches overall, and small chips to the ground at some corners/edges, consistent with age and use. Sold as-is; please review all photos carefully as they form part of the description.