169 - A FINE GOLD LACQUER FAN-SHAPED ’DRAGON’ KOGO (INCENSE BOX)

A FINE GOLD LACQUER FAN-SHAPED ’DRAGON’ KOGO (INCENSE BOX) Japan, late 18 th to early 19 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Of lobed gunbai (war fan) form, bearing a lustrous roiro ground, finely decorated in gold and silver hiramaki-e and takamaki-e, further embellished with iridescent aogai (mother-of-pearl) inlays. The flush-fitting inrobuta cover depicts a powerful dragon writhing across the surface, with a stylized crescent moon and sun nestled amid scrolling clouds in the upper corners, all against an intricate geometric ground of interlocking floral motifs rendered in gold lacquer and aogai, reminiscent of the Somada style. The sides are richly decorated in gyobu-nashiji, while the underside and interior are finished in fine nashiji with gold fundame rims. SIZE 9.7 x 8.5 x 3.6 cm Provenance: S. Honma, Tokyo, Japan, 1990. An old private collection, Rome, Italy, acquired from the above. A copy of a certificate issued by S. Honma Art Shop, Tokyo, dated 13 August 1990, accompanies the lot. Condition: Excellent condition with only very minor non-distracting losses to the aogai inlays. Auction comparison: Compare a related lacquer gunbai fan-shaped kogo (incense box) and cover decorated with fans, by Seishu, dated to the late 19th-early 20th century, 4.5 x 11.7 x 9.5 cm, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 9 November 2017, London, lot 327 (sold for GBP 1,750 or approx. EUR 3,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).