Box - lacquerware - 輪島塗/漆器/沈金菊尽/文箱

Shipping method- The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by DHL or FedEx depend on the situation. It takes about 3 weeks to receive normally. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Sometimes Customs or delivery company in your country contact you for Customs clearance via phone or email. Please make sure that you could answer the phone. If you don't, the parcel will return to me and it cost more double shipping fee for reshipping. I appreciate your cooperation.


Item Description
This is a superb antique Japanese lacquer box — most likely a suzuri-bako (硯箱, inkstone box) or fumi-bako (文箱, document box) — decorated entirely in the prestigious chinkin (沈金) gold inlay technique with an exuberant kiku-zukushi (菊尽くし) design, meaning "chrysanthemums in abundance." Every surface of the piece — lid, sides, and base — is covered with a lush, dense composition of chrysanthemum blooms in varying sizes and perspectives, rendered with extraordinary precision and depth against the lustrous black lacquer ground.
Chinkin is one of the most demanding and revered decorative techniques in Japanese lacquerwork. The artist carves lines and dots into the hardened lacquer surface using specially hand-made metal chisels called chinkin-nomi, then fills the incised channels with gold powder or gold foil, which is fixed in place with lacquer as an adhesive. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism The result is a glowing golden design that appears to emerge from within the lacquer itself. This technique is most strongly associated with Wajima lacquerware (輪島塗) from Ishikawa Prefecture, which has produced numerous holders of Important Intangible Cultural Heritage designation in this field, and this piece displays all the hallmarks of that tradition: a deep, mirror-polished black lacquer base and densely intricate gold carving covering the entire surface.
The chrysanthemum — symbol of longevity, nobility, and imperial dignity in Japanese culture — is here rendered in a dazzling variety: large open blooms, tight buds, curling petals, and layered compositions fill every inch of the surface, creating a work that is as much fine art as it is functional object. The interior is finished in smooth, undecorated black lacquer.
This piece would be a distinguished centerpiece in any collection of Japanese decorative arts or lacquerware.

My Message
Thank you so much for visiting my listing. I run a recycle shop in Japan, and I joined Catawiki because I want to share items filled with Japanese craftsmanship and history with the world. If you have any questions about this item, please feel free to message me anytime. With heartfelt gratitude — ARIGATO.

Size
Height: 7.5 cm
Width: 29 cm
Depth: 23 cm

Weight
786 g

Condition
The piece is in good overall condition with the chinkin gold inlay design beautifully preserved across all surfaces; minor scratches and scuffs are visible on the sides consistent with age and use, and the interior black lacquer shows light age-related wear, but there is no significant peeling or lifting of the decoration.

Artist Profile
Not applicable — maker unknown.

Catawiki出品項目

Category: Japanese Antiques > Lacquerware
Title of Artwork: Superb Antique Wajima-Style Chinkin Gold Inlay Black Lacquer Box — All-Over Chrysanthemum Design
Artist: —（作家不明）
Colour: Black
Condition: Good condition – used with visible signs of wear
Height: 7.5 cm
Width: 29 cm
Depth: 23 cm
Weight: 786 g