A lacquer writing box (suzuribako)

EDO PERIOD (18TH CENTURY), SIGNED CHOIN AND SEALED KOAMI [KOAMI XVI]

Details

A lacquer writing box (suzuribako)
Edo period (18th century), signed Choin and sealed Koami [Koami XVI]
Square with rounded corners and slightly domed lid, decorated in gold, silver and red hiramaki-e, takamaki-e, kirikane and togidashi with shikishi style panels of scenery of famous places, flowers and water, the interior decorated in gold lacquer and inlaid gold and silver with hills, cherry and pine trees on a nashiji ground; fitted with a slate inkstone with nashiji rim and base, a silver water dropper in the shape of cherry blossoms and pine tree in a leaf-edge saucer in gold and silver, and a knife, paper pricker, two brushes and inkstick holder; rims of the writing box silver, signature on underside of the lid
10 1/8 x 9 x 1¾in. (25.7 x 22.9 x 4.5cm.)

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Heakyum Kim

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Lot Essay

The eminent Koami family of lacquerers worked for the shogun from the mid-Muromachi to the mid-Edo period. Koami Docho (1410-1478), the first master, enjoyed the patronage of the Ashikaga family; Koami Chosei (1529-1603) and Choan (1569-1610) worked for Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Beginning with Koami Chozen (1589-1613), the Koami made lacquers for the Tokugawa family, many commissioned for special occasions. All generations of the family share the high level of skill and reverence for traditional techniques that are shown on the writing box here.

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