Featured Japanese Meiji Lacquered Fubako Box Painted with Butterflies

Guess I won’t be updating my comb collection for a long time… because I spent all my budget on this stunner…

This is the most expensive Japanese lacquered box in my collection- more expensive than all my other lacquerware added up!

It’s a Fubako box-box for letters and maybe writing brushes. It was sold to me as Meiji, not sure if there’s any possibility for earlier date? On the nashiji surface, butterflies are painted all over, adorned with abalone(?) inlays. You can also see that there’s different level of polishing and tone in the golden areas. sadly there’s loss of Maki-e details on several butterflies, and missing abalone pieces and gold sheet, still, solid 90/100!


The metal fittings on both sides are engraved with butterflies too!


Also there are few smaller butterflies hiding under the lid-they are protected most of the time thus in better condition. What a dreamy piece! I hope you enjoy.

 

Now comes the practical problem- it has suffered damage at the four corners, and there are glues all over the cracks. The pieces are held firmly so far, but you can see cracks and yellowing on the glue. It can be removed by wet cotton swab, so natural glue I guess. Should I remove it, and re-glue the box with proper urushi lacquer? What do you think?

 

I should ask @808 raver for comments on this beautiful, beautiful box and opinion of the glue

 

I also can’t express enough how much I love the fact that these Maki-e artworks are best when appreciated in the dark, in lighting condition similar to candle lights. Unlike the Chinese approach of similar butterflies motif, which reminds you of bright spring, the glittering nashiji creates an unrealistic space and absorbs the viewer into that dazzling dream.

 

@Any Jewelry I only tag you when I’m extremely proud of my find… I guess this is the find…

 

That is a stunning piece, Shamster. It's a real work of art. Can see why you got it. Such quality!

Cannot comment on the glue part, I guess if it was mine I might leave as is, but wait for others.

 

Thank you I just asked a restorer hours ago, who suggested leave it as it is. Based on my observations it should be natural glue, so no risk of chemical reaction or something similar!

 

And rightly so, it is gorgeous!

The Japanese are masters of subtle special effects.

Beautifully put. I can see that the striking beauty of this Fubako box awakens the poet in you.

 

I’ve always been a poet but I save my talent for the finest piece only!

 

I think this qualifies. WHOO. My father's mother loved Japanese art and ceramics, but couldn't afford them 100 years ago. It's easy to see why, and all she saw were the pieces made for export and not the good stuff the Japanese kept for themselves. I would have too!.

 

That is a beautiful box @shamster
The way the Nashiji is done looks earlier than Meiji imho late Edo

Mikey

 

True lol usually pieces for domestic market speak best of the true aesthetics of that culture

 

Thank you for your opinion on the date Mikey. I guess there’s no big difference-maybe a gap of one or two decades, but why not, if I can safely call it an Edo piece?

 

Or to quote the seagulls in the Finding Nemo movie, call it one for the "mine mine mine!" shelf.

 

Wooow it is so beautiful!! Just an amazing work of art. I could see the candlelit butterflies in my mind's eye perfectly from your description.

 

Yesssss also some butterflies do have this metallic shine on their wings… so just imagine them dyed golden near the flame…

 

It’s dreamy!

 

Shiny&dreamy&pretty!

 

All kinds of beautiful!

 

Sometimes you buy a work of art and it doesn't matter it isn't perfect, in this case I would still have it on display if only the lid survived. What a lovely work, so artful, I just love the abalone shell and the painting is to die for. What a buy, well done, I would say it's better than anything I have. Unfortunately when you get such an important work you are responsible for it until it gets passed on (as they say we are just custodians of antiques) and in this case you either take weeks finding the best restorer for this kind of work and pay them a fortune to restore it or (like me) you leave it for the next/richer "custodian" to have it done. Speaking of abalone shell, I've been carving rough opals for the last few months, the iridescence on the shell is just as beautiful as opal, here are some of the unfinished opals I've done.