Item Overview
- Type: Desk Stamp Box / Nesting Trinket Box Set
- Designer: Master Metalwork Craftsman (Kyoto Studio)
- Brand: Signed Nogawa (野川)
- Manufacturer: Nogawa Bronze Foundry Workshop (Kyoto, Japan)
- MPN: Does Not Apply
- Place of Origin: Kyoto, Japan
- Style: Japanese Antique Meiji / Taisho Art Metalware / Mingei
- Colour: Mellow Aged Brass Gold with Natural Dark Verdigris Patina
- Design Era: Meiji Period to Taisho Era (c. 1890–1920)
- Material: Heavy Gauge Solid Cast Brass / Bronze Alloy
- Set Includes: 3 Pieces (1 Main Deep Box Base, 1 Detailed Lift-Off Lid, 1 Nesting Internal Shallow Tray Liner)
- Features: Verified Stamped Nogawa Torii Gate Maker's Mark inside Square Border, Hand-Chased Intricate Mariner's Compass Rose Radial Geometry, Friction Nesting Interlock
- Condition: Good Antique Condition
- Size and capacity: Approximately 3.75 Inches Square x 1.25 Inches Total Height (Please check gallery images with ruler for exact structural scaling)
Dating & Historical Context
- Dating: This exceptional museum-quality desk set dates strictly to the late Meiji Period or early Taisho Era (c. 1900–1915). The specific square-bordered Nogawa hallmark stamped cleanly onto both the interior basin and base reverse provides absolute, ironclad chronological verification for Asian art antiquarians.
- Historical Note: The Nogawa Bronze Foundry (野川銅器店) of Kyoto was one of the most elite metalwork studios operating during the golden age of Japanese export art. Following the fall of the samurai class, master swordsmiths and foundry workers transitioned into making intricate domestic luxury items, showcasing their metalwork prowess at International World's Fairs. While Nogawa is widely celebrated for their multi-metal patinated wildlife vases, this incredibly rare nesting stamp box set represents an elite desk commission tailored for the Western market. The lid showcases a breathtakingly precise 16-point navigation star—a cross-cultural hybrid motif combining Western mariner charting lines with Japanese geometric symmetry. These sets were used by elite estates to store precious wax seals or postage stamps, acting as a true statement item of high-society workspace luxury.
Description
A magnificent masterwork of authentic Far Eastern art history, this signed Japanese Nogawa brass nesting box set brings unparalleled texture and provenance to any surface. Comprising a deep square main vessel, a matching internal partition liner tier, and a flush-fitting lift-off cover, every block displays the immense density and organic weight of Kyoto lost-wax craftsmanship. The lid features an impressive raised-relief compass array surrounded by geometric stellar points and intricate textured fields, catching room lighting beautifully.
Expert Identification & Design Features:
- Verified Nogawa Hallmark: The reverse underside base and internal tier proudly feature the crisp, deeply struck Nogawa signature symbol—a stylized torii gate inside a foundational ring and square border—guaranteeing absolute authenticity for international art collectors.
- Mariner's Nautical Geometry: Outfitted with an expansive 16-point navigation star across the lid crown, framed seamlessly by stylized corner brackets that mimic period astrolabe charting plates.
- Modular Multi-Tier Assembly: The clever friction-nesting profile allows the internal components to layer flush into one single block, maximizing workspace utility while preserving structural lines.
Condition Report
This set is in good antique condition. The solid cast brass walls are completely structural, stable, and free from splits, impact dents, or edge repairs. The raw metal displays a gorgeous, authentic deep honey-gold patina with natural verdigris highlights, light oxidation, and subtle handling tarnish within the casting recesses, which validates its 110+ year history. The hand-chased relief lines remain incredibly crisp and show no major surface flattening. The lid and nesting tiers fit together properly and straight.
Shipping & Logistics
- Domestic Shipping: FREE UK TRACKED DELIVERY.
- International Shipping: We proudly ship worldwide via the eBay Global Shipping Programme (GSP). Note: The Global Shipping Programme is upgrading to eBay International Shipping, with built-in payout protections on returns. Rolling out in phases from August 2026.
- Packaging: Securely wrapped in acid-free tissue paper and cocooned in multiple layers of high-density bubble cushioning. Shipped inside a heavy-duty cardboard container packed with soft void-fill to prevent any transit friction or edge abrasion.
- Dispatch: Order before 12.00pm and we ship same day.
Returns & Payment Policies
We want you to be delighted with your heritage find.
- Not as Described: In the unlikely event of an error in our listing, we will provide a full refund and cover the return postage costs.
- Change of Mind: We accept returns within 30 days; however, in these instances, the buyer is responsible for the return shipping costs.
- Payment: Secure checkout via eBay Managed Payments (Credit/Debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal).