A SUPERB AND UNUSUAL PEACH-SHAPED LACQUER ‘DEER, BATS AND CRANE’ SUZURIBAKO (WRITING BOX)

拍品描述

A SUPERB AND UNUSUAL PEACH-SHAPED LACQUER ‘DEER, BATS AND CRANE’ SUZURIBAKO (WRITING BOX) Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912) Of fan-shaped form with a domed, peach-shaped cover, the surface bearing a rich gold ground finely decorated in gold, silver, red, and black takamaki-e and hiramaki-e, further enriched with brilliantly preserved gold foil inlays. The lid depicts an auspicious scene of a stag and hind grazing, the former raising its head toward bats in flight above, all framed by delicately rendered peach leaves. The fan-shaped base is rendered in fine gold lacquer simulating metal inlay along the staff, while the sides are adorned with an elegant hanabishi pattern. The cover rises from a lobed box, the sides finished in lustrous roiro and encircled by a hanabishi pattern and keyfret band, surmounted by a reishi band in gold fundame. The interior of the lid, executed in roiro with nashiji, depicts a crane set against a vivid rising sun. The interior retains its original implements: a silver bat-shaped water dropper (suiteki), a moon-shaped inkstone (suzuri), and an inscribed inkstick. SIZE 24 x 29.1 cm The imagery is drawn from a rich repertoire of auspicious motifs. Bats symbolize happiness and good fortune, while deer are associated with longevity and prosperity. The peach, a classical emblem of immortality, reinforces these themes, as does the reishi band, the fungus long regarded as a symbol of health and eternal life. The crane within the interior further amplifies this message, embodying longevity and renewal. Together, these elements form a coherent and refined expression of well-being and good fortune. Auction comparison: Compare a related suzuribako depicting a stag and two bats, dated to the 19th century, 21.6 x 16.6 x 3 cm, at Zacke, Fine Japanese Art, 3 December 2021, Vienna, lot 164 (sold for EUR 8,848).

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