14064 - Japanese photo album with mother-of-pearl inlays, lacquered cover, and hand-painted illustrations

Japanese photo album with mother-of-pearl inlays, lacquered cover, and hand-painted illustrations Decorative Japanese photo album with an elaborately designed, black-lacquered cover and ornate mother-of-pearl inlays. The front cover features a detailed Asian bird motif depicting a bird of prey perched on a blossoming tree, along with several birds in flight. The delicate mother-of-pearl inlays shimmer in various hues and stand out strikingly against the deep black lacquer background. The spine features ornamental gold embossing. Inside are several elaborately designed album pages featuring original historical photographs, primarily portraits of women, men, children, and families. Particularly noteworthy are the artistic, hand-colored or hand-painted Japanese illustrations featuring blooming cherry branches, birds, maple leaves, and floral motifs. The photographs are set within decorative picture frames, some of which are bordered in blue. Some are labeled with the names of the original photographers. The combination of Japanese lacquer art, shimmering mother-of-pearl inlays, traditional natural motifs, and European portrait photography lends the album a special artistic and cultural-historical charm. Condition: Damaged on the outside, particularly on the spine and cover. Signs of age-related wear and tear. Dimensions: approx. 37 × 27 cm.