Japan Lacquered wood, gold maki-e and red lacquer, kirigane. Nrō with three compartments featuring cranes, signed Kajikawa saku, seal Ei - 7.5 cm
18
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€ 1
Reserve price not met
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Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 4,700 - € 6,000
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Japanese inrō with three compartments featuring two cranes, Kajikawa saku signed with Ei seal, Edo period, 19th century, lacquered wood with maki-e gold and red lacquer, with kirigane inlay, measuring 7.5 cm high and 5.2 cm wide, acquired from a auction house in Europe in 1960, authentic original and in good condition with cord and two ojime.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
JAPANESE INRO WITH TWO CRANES — KAJIKAWA FAMILY — EDO PERIOD, 19th CENTURY
Elegant Japanese inrō with three compartments, signed Kajikawa saku and bearing the red seal Ei, attributed to the famous Kajikawa lacquerers family, whose several generations worked notably for the Tokugawa shogunate.
On a deep roiro black lacquer background, remarkably polished, unfolds a delicate aquatic landscape animated by two cranes. The first, standing on a golden shore, raises its long neck toward stretched clouds; on the reverse, the second descends in flight, wings wide open. The movement of the birds, the fine ripples of the water, and the discreteness of the landscape give this composition a beautiful visual balance.
The décor combines several traditional Japanese lacquer techniques: hiramaki-e, takamaki-e, kirigane inlays and gold dusting. The touches of red on the cranes’ heads subtly enhance the whole. According to sale documentation, the inner compartments are adorned with nashiji, with gilded fundame borders.
The inrō is accompanied by its cord and two ojime: one in dyed bone, delicately pierced, the other in copper, decorated with a stylized flower and bearing a signature published as Harumasa. Their contemporaneity with the inrō is not established.
A particularly interesting British provenance
This example has documentary history dating back to the 1960s, with two early public sales in London, then its acquisition by the Tomkinson family, heirs of a significant tradition of collecting Japanese art. The precise historical references and the corresponding documents appear in the Mimosa certificate accompanying the work.
The association of the signature Kajikawa saku and the Ei seal finds documented parallels in several museum collections, notably those of the Walters Art Museum and the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, without allowing the designation of a single artist.
Condition: good old condition. Minor scratches and signs of use, small losses localized to the kirigane, discreet wear on some edges and tiny indentations on the lid. Excellent overall lacquer sheen, with a largely preserved decoration.
Height: 7.5 cm. Width: 5.2 cm.
Mimosa descriptive certificate of description and attribution accompanying the object.
Seller's Story
MIMOSA SA — EXPERTISE, RESEARCH AND TRANSMISSION
For more than 26 years, I have been working as an art dealer specializing in ancient Asian arts. My work is not simply to offer objects: it is to observe them, to understand them, to study them and to document them before passing them to a new collector.
Each work presented by Mimosa SA undergoes thorough examination. Depending on its nature, this study may concern the iconography, the style, the proportions, the material, the execution techniques, surface traces, patina, the condition, restorations, provenance as well as relevant bibliographic, museum or archaeological comparisons. When justified, additional scientific analyses may also be undertaken.
Our approach rests on the experience of sight, gained from direct contact with the works for over two decades, but also on methodical and constantly renewed research. We always favor a cautious, coherent and argued attribution rather than a seductive but insufficiently substantiated assertion.
Transparency is at the heart of our approach. The wear, gaps, accidents, ancient restorations or more recent interventions are reported as precisely as possible. When an attribution carries uncertainty or remains a working hypothesis, it is clearly presented as such.
Present on Catawiki since 2016, we have chosen to maintain a regular selection of works there in order to meet international collectors who value authenticity, knowledge and quality of documentation.
Each acquisition is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued under our professional responsibility. For the most important works, this certificate takes the form of a genuine study dossier gathering the main technical, stylistic, iconographic, historical and bibliographic observations made during our research.
The same standard applies to shipping. Over the years, we have developed a packaging method adapted to old, fragile, heavy or complex-shaped objects. Each work is protected, immobilized and carefully packaged, according to its material and its particularities. The shipping costs correspond to the real needs for protection, handling, insurance and secure transport. Shipping is never regarded as a source of commercial profit.
Acquiring a work from Mimosa SA is to receive a selected, studied, described, documented and prepared object with the same care that we would wish for a work destined for our own collection.
Translated by Google TranslateJAPANESE INRO WITH TWO CRANES — KAJIKAWA FAMILY — EDO PERIOD, 19th CENTURY
Elegant Japanese inrō with three compartments, signed Kajikawa saku and bearing the red seal Ei, attributed to the famous Kajikawa lacquerers family, whose several generations worked notably for the Tokugawa shogunate.
On a deep roiro black lacquer background, remarkably polished, unfolds a delicate aquatic landscape animated by two cranes. The first, standing on a golden shore, raises its long neck toward stretched clouds; on the reverse, the second descends in flight, wings wide open. The movement of the birds, the fine ripples of the water, and the discreteness of the landscape give this composition a beautiful visual balance.
The décor combines several traditional Japanese lacquer techniques: hiramaki-e, takamaki-e, kirigane inlays and gold dusting. The touches of red on the cranes’ heads subtly enhance the whole. According to sale documentation, the inner compartments are adorned with nashiji, with gilded fundame borders.
The inrō is accompanied by its cord and two ojime: one in dyed bone, delicately pierced, the other in copper, decorated with a stylized flower and bearing a signature published as Harumasa. Their contemporaneity with the inrō is not established.
A particularly interesting British provenance
This example has documentary history dating back to the 1960s, with two early public sales in London, then its acquisition by the Tomkinson family, heirs of a significant tradition of collecting Japanese art. The precise historical references and the corresponding documents appear in the Mimosa certificate accompanying the work.
The association of the signature Kajikawa saku and the Ei seal finds documented parallels in several museum collections, notably those of the Walters Art Museum and the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, without allowing the designation of a single artist.
Condition: good old condition. Minor scratches and signs of use, small losses localized to the kirigane, discreet wear on some edges and tiny indentations on the lid. Excellent overall lacquer sheen, with a largely preserved decoration.
Height: 7.5 cm. Width: 5.2 cm.
Mimosa descriptive certificate of description and attribution accompanying the object.
Seller's Story
MIMOSA SA — EXPERTISE, RESEARCH AND TRANSMISSION
For more than 26 years, I have been working as an art dealer specializing in ancient Asian arts. My work is not simply to offer objects: it is to observe them, to understand them, to study them and to document them before passing them to a new collector.
Each work presented by Mimosa SA undergoes thorough examination. Depending on its nature, this study may concern the iconography, the style, the proportions, the material, the execution techniques, surface traces, patina, the condition, restorations, provenance as well as relevant bibliographic, museum or archaeological comparisons. When justified, additional scientific analyses may also be undertaken.
Our approach rests on the experience of sight, gained from direct contact with the works for over two decades, but also on methodical and constantly renewed research. We always favor a cautious, coherent and argued attribution rather than a seductive but insufficiently substantiated assertion.
Transparency is at the heart of our approach. The wear, gaps, accidents, ancient restorations or more recent interventions are reported as precisely as possible. When an attribution carries uncertainty or remains a working hypothesis, it is clearly presented as such.
Present on Catawiki since 2016, we have chosen to maintain a regular selection of works there in order to meet international collectors who value authenticity, knowledge and quality of documentation.
Each acquisition is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued under our professional responsibility. For the most important works, this certificate takes the form of a genuine study dossier gathering the main technical, stylistic, iconographic, historical and bibliographic observations made during our research.
The same standard applies to shipping. Over the years, we have developed a packaging method adapted to old, fragile, heavy or complex-shaped objects. Each work is protected, immobilized and carefully packaged, according to its material and its particularities. The shipping costs correspond to the real needs for protection, handling, insurance and secure transport. Shipping is never regarded as a source of commercial profit.
Acquiring a work from Mimosa SA is to receive a selected, studied, described, documented and prepared object with the same care that we would wish for a work destined for our own collection.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Culture
Japan
Century/timeframe
Fin de l’époque Edo, XIXe siècle
Name of object
Nrō with three compartments featuring cranes, signed Kajikawa saku, seal Ei
Acquired from
Auction house
Year acquired
1960
Material
Lacquered wood, gold maki-e and red lacquer, kirigane.
Country acquired from
Europe
Condition
Good
Previous owner acquired from
Private collection
Height
7.5 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
1961
Width
5.2 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
Europe
Depth
2.5 cm
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
Sold by
Disclaimer
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
