Featured Japanese lacquered case, purpose?

Good point! I have no idea then!

 

Thanks everyone.
So up til now the general consensus is a small pretty case for pretty small things?

 

lol, Yes!

 

From doing a little research I am finding that people just call it it what ever they see fit at the time LOL.

Yep that about sums it up beautifully

 

In a nutshell....yes!

 

I think cheroot case, smaller than cigars bigger than cigarettes.

 

ANTIQUE-SIGNED Japanese Maki-e lacquer TORTOISE SHELL cigar/cigarette CASE-inebay $200 >

 

I posted "cigarette?" at 4am this morning - - - - and watched with interest the rest of the day

Maybe we'll never know for certain, but this piece is gorgeous, and a cut way above most of what I saw "out there"

 

I'm starting to wonder if this is not Faux tortoise shell Meiji work?

below are said to be genuine.......and I see a lot of cigar cases described as Faux.

 

Thanks everyone.

Thanks, scouts, I love it too. I bought it at a local auction when we still had an auction house here. It cost me a fraction of the prices I see now.

I am inclined to think it isn't tortoiseshell, because the spots don't show layering, or shadowing in the lower layers. I don't know about 'regular' faux tortoiseshell, that is usually celluloid. If you look at the scalloped edge in the 4th photo, there is a sort of crimping that I've never seen on celluloid.
I think it could be stained horn, which is also faux tortoiseshell, of course.

 

" I think it could be stained horn,"

Without holding it ...or sniffing it .... or putting it next to a hawkbill..( the one in the photo isn't mine... mine's a little bigger..) , I'd say horn is highly likely !!

 

I think it is sea turtle shell,they could do things with it that doesn't seem possible. Thin pieces of shell can be fused together to make larger sheets with no visible connecting lines.At one time there was a number of videos made in the 60/70's which showed the process of tradition Japanese crafts made by the Japanese tourist agency.There are a few newer videos here.... https://kmtc.jp/en/display-en/virtual/ but no tortoise shell example.

 

Does horn have this kind of coloring (spots)?

 

not that I'm aware of.....but neither do Hawksbills...that i know of...

 

Here is the description from the one I posted. I thought it was interesting for listing the species and use of the nice word "blondine"

Also - dimensions!! Hint-Hint

An old & larger Japanese cheroot-cigarillo case in genuine turtle shell (specie Orlitia kempii ). The 2-part case is made from shell with darker spotty & "smeared" patchy patterns over blondine background, semi-raised lacquer of a sparrow flying over a vast bay (with fdrifting sailboats) on the front, a crane besides bamboo plant on the back. Insert fits well into the stylish notched opening leaving striped scratches with plenty of room for cigarillo/cigarette. Unmarked.

SIZE: assembled 4.5"H x 2 5/8"W x 7/8"D

 

and the species is.........?

 

specie Orlitia kempii (according to them)


AWWWWWW. KISSES!! MWAHH!! !!

Another species hybrid:

 

Think it's clear I'm with@anundverkaufen

 

Orlitia kempii ......why can't I find this..?