A MATCHING SET OF BUNDAI [WRITING-TABLE] AND SUZURIBAKO [WRITING-BOX]

MEIJI PERIOD (LATE 19TH/EARLY 20TH CENTURY)

Details

A MATCHING SET OF BUNDAI [WRITING-TABLE] AND SUZURIBAKO [WRITING-BOX]
Meiji Period (Late 19th/Early 20th Century)
Of the usual form; black lacquer ground; decoration in gold and silver hiramaki-e, takamaki-e and togidashi-e with embellishments in gold nashiji and extensive areas of silver foil; writing utensils gold nashiji, some with silver fittings; water-dropper silver; rims edged in silver; undersides rich gold nashiji; silver fittings on bundai

The bundai with the Uji Bridge framed by two willow trees and with jakago [stone-filled baskets to strengthen the banks of the river] in the foreground, the whole design surrounded with clouds; the exterior of the suzuribako with a waterwheel and jakago beneath a willow, again surrounded by clouds; interior of the lid with autumn plants by the corner of a palace building; interior of box partially decorated with further plant designs; water-dropper in the form of a goose in flight; the box with ink-stone, ink-holder, two brushes, a paper-skewer and a paper-knife

Each with an inscribed lacquered box contained in a larger inscribed wooden box
Bundai 4 x 25 x 14in. (12.2 x 64.2 x 37.0cm.)
Suzuribako 2 x 8.7/8 x 10in. (5.0 x 22.6 x 25.9cm.) (2)

Provenance

Dave Swedlow Collection

Lot Essay

This sumptuously decorated set, an example of the classical revival style of the middle and late Meiji period, invites comparisons with a number of richly decorated sets in the Khalili collection also featuring the bridge at Uji, although with different designs on the other components of the sets1.

1 Oliver Impey, Malcolm Fairley and Joe Earle (eds.), The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Japanese Art, vol. IV (London, 1995), pt. 2, cat. nos. 116, 117, 118

For detail of the bundai, see frontispiece.

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