Featured Display Ideas for damaged Japanese golden lacquered box

Hi all,

I won this Kogo/incense box on eBay yesterday. It’s a charming multi-layered box but was seriously damaged. I believe professional restoration will be difficult and expensive, probably twice as what I paid, so I’m thinking about designing a unique display for it.

This is what I came up with so far, filling the cracks with handmade cherry blossoms as they are traditionally associated with flowing water. And keeping them under a glass dome. But do you have better ideas on this? Something more creative?


Also would love some opinions on age of this box. Can this be earlier than Meiji?

 

PS: it’s tiny, less than 7cm tall

 

What a sweetie, and such delicate work.
The only thing I can think of is kintsugi, but I also think that anything you do will draw attention to the damage. So I would leave it as is, it is still beautiful.

I think it is earlier.

 

I was also thinking using proper lacquer and wood powder to refill the missing bits and adding a layer of golden lacquer if it’s too hard to restore the maki-e detail on it. But last month I was also using lacquer on another box for some basic repair work and got allergic reactions (afaik most of we humankind are allergic to lacquer) and I really don’t want to go through that again so leaving it there is probably the safest way(for both of us!), and with my decorative flowers

I have no idea what happened to it, when it left Japan and was brought to UK…but I feel lucky to have won it as found , as it won’t be affordable if in better shape!

 

I think your idea is very creative. What would you make the flowers out of? I think paper folding might be a nice compliment but what's your vision?

 

I think it might be Japanese rice paper? Dyed with watercolor pigment and as realistic as possible I was eyeing on real dried cherry blossoms earlier but sadly all of them are just flat and fragile

 

Can I ask you-what makes you think this is Edo, earlier than Meiji? Is it the style, or the patina, or something else?

And I forgot to mention, it has metal in the bottom layer

 

so beautiful and creative shammie

creating an image like that has already beautified it, and maybe us as well

 

Thank you

 

But I think some glue to go beneath these areas might be necessary to prevent the chips from flipping and causing further break. Am I right?

 

Difficult to say, it is mostly the feeling I get, with little bits of style and patina mixed in.
This type of lacquer has been made for centuries. I have seen 17th century Japanese maki-e lacquer items that were still in excellent condition, so maki-e especially, is a very difficult material to date.

 

Are you thinking of using a syringe?

 

A tiny brush, maybe? I have a few used for Chinese calligraphy, they are almost like soft needles. Not sure if glue can go into a syringe. and I want to use a completely natural glue, maybe a tiny bit of fish glue can do the job?

 

Fish glue sounds perfect. It does go in a syringe as long as it is thin enough, which is what you need for such delicate work anyway, but a very fine brush should work too.

 

I’ll try & update when everything is done!

 

Good luck!

 

I need to have it arrived safely first as I fear the customs might open it to check and manhandle it… they have done this to a few of my packages, fortunately none damaged, but this box needs to be treated with extra care so

 

Fingers crossed. Will you let us know if it arrives safely?

 

I will!

 

I really like your Cherry Blossoms an' Glass Dome idea...simple, straightforward an' reasonably well protected against further damage.
It is what it is...I see no necessity to 'fix' anything about it, shamster. If it is Edo, it has survived remarkably long an' well, save for what outrageous fortune has done to it.
We're all bruised an' twisted by life, yet those blemishes add much character to each of us, reinforcing our uniqueness.
As much as you can, imho, leave it as found. I'll hope with you that the customs folks don't abuse your wee treasure.
Best wishes, whatever path you choose!