A SUPERB GOLD-INLAID LACQUER TEBAKO AND TRAY WITH... Lot n° 37

A SUPERB GOLD-INLAID LACQUER TEBAKO AND TRAY WITH A RIVER LANDSCAPE Japan, 19th century The fine rectangular accessories box with lobed corners, a flush fitting cover with silver rims, and a footed tray inside. The box and cover lavishly lacquered in rich gold with various techniques such as takamaki-e, hiramaki-e kirigane flakes, nashiji, with gold and mixed-metal inlays, depicting a river meandering through low hills spotted with trees. The interior and the tray are covered in a rich nashiji ground, and the cover’s interior depicts a straw ayaigasa hat next to a bow and arrow referring to kasagake (hat shooting). SIZE 15.4 x 11.6 x 7.3 cm Condition: good condition with minor wear to the lacquer, losses to the metal inlays, and a minuscule nick to the base. A tiny nick to one corner of the box with an associated tiny nick to the interior tray. Kasagake (hat shooting) is a type of mounted archery, and was one of the three martial arts of mounted archer during the Kamakura period. It was widely practiced by Samurai and involves the archer shooting while moving on horseback. The name derives from the straw hats first used as targets that were hung on posts. This martial art is still practiced today. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related lacquer tebako depicting a river landscape, signed Shumin, at Sotheby’s, Fine Japanese Art, 3 November 2020, London, lot 29 (sold for GBP 8,820).