163 - A FINE LACQUER BOX AND COVER WITH INTERIOR TRAY AND TWO KOGO, FOR THE INCENSE MATCHING GAME

A FINE LACQUER BOX AND COVER WITH INTERIOR TRAY AND TWO KOGO, FOR THE INCENSE MATCHING GAME Japan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Of rectangular form, the exterior bearing a richly gold-sprinkled roiro ground, finely decorated in gold and silver hiramaki-e and takamaki-e with mura-nashiji and kirigane to depict chrysanthemums (kiku), the design elegantly continuing from the inrobuta (flush-fitting) lid onto the sides of the box. The interior, as well as the rims and underside, is finished in silver lacquer. The box contains a fitted tray decorated with a gold river stream strewn with petals on a silver ground, and two small kogo, their covers with circular panels enclosing peony and kuzu (arrowroot) blossoms respectively. SIZE 5.8 x 8 x 3.4 cm Provenance: From the collection of Eva & Aubrey Sweet, Melbourne, Australia. Eva and Aubrey Sweet devoted over six decades to the formation of a distinguished private collection of Asian art, with particular strength in Chinese jade, Japanese lacquer, and netsuke. Their collecting began in the 1950s and was refined through sustained travel, scholarship, and long associations with leading dealers, curators, and artists internationally. Aubrey, a Melbourne physician who also studied acupuncture in Beijing, and Eva developed a discerning connoisseurship that balanced intuitive appreciation with systematic study, supported by an extensive reference library and active participation in scholarly circles. They acquired works of historic importance as well as contemporary pieces by artists such as Susan Wraight and Unryuan (Kitamura Tatsuo), demonstrating a commitment both to tradition and to the continuity of craft. The collection, housed in their Melbourne residence and affectionately referred to by the family as “the Museum,” stands as a testament to their lifelong dedication to the aesthetic and cultural values of Asian art. Condition: Excellent condition with only minor wear and typical losses to kirigane flakes. The present set was used for the incense-matching game. Like the Way of Tea and flower arrangement, the enjoyment of incense had developed into a complex pastime by the Edo period and had a large following during the seventeenth century. The various games involved guessing a fragrance from among more than 2,000 varieties, matching fragrances, and blending incenses to suggest certain moods. Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related lacquer box with interior tray and two smaller boxes, for the incense matching game, 3.6 x 8.3 x 5.9 cm, at Zacke, Fine Japanese Art, 16 June 2023, Vienna, lot 13 (sold for EUR 6,500).