MEIJI PERIOD (LATE 19TH CENTURY), SIGNED SHOKASAI WITH CURSIVE MONOGRAM (KAO)

The Great Peacock King is a rare subject in Japanese lacquer works. The only Guardian King to have a serene and graceful appearance, Kujaku Myo-o is believed to have the power to protect devotees from poisoning physical and spiritual ill as peacock is known to eat poisonous snakes. Here the deity represented as a beautiful, feminine figure with jewelry and richly embellished garments on a lotus throne riding on the back of a peacock. The six arms adorned with bracelets are holding two arrows, a bow, vajra and spear. The top and sides of the box shows highly skilled technique of the artist with elaborate togidashi and inlaid cut gold and silver foil.
An almost identical sutra box attributed to Shirayama Shosai (1853–1923), an Imperial Household Artist, who was well-know for his excellent togidashi technique is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum, New York, see https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/847082?ft=kujaku&offset=0&rpp=40&pos=2