Small 18th century Edo cabinet

Small Edo cabinet in black lacquered Japanese wood with relief decoration of foliage and animal motifs.

Of rare elegance, this fully lacquered piece is a perfect testament to the refined and symbolic aesthetic that characterized Japanese decorative art of this period.
Entirely decorated using the "maki-e" technique, this cabinet reveals exceptional mastery in the application of gold, silver, and ochre powders against a black lacquer background. Each panel features a finely crafted decoration of stylized landscapes such as autumn grasses, susuki, wildflowers, hills, birds, and butterflies. These motifs, imbued with poetry and seasonal symbolism, are rendered with remarkable finesse.

It features two hinged doors adorned with a large central lock, harmoniously carved with similar plants, which conceal a series of practical drawers. The interior facade of the cabinet, composed of six drawers of varying sizes, features a continuous pattern of flowery meadows crossed by rivers and golden dunes. They are all curved with a ring-shaped pull whose base is decorated with a shell rosette. The lower left drawer, of larger dimensions, is fitted with a large, highly ornamented lock.

The exterior doors, meanwhile, feature a lively scene of a pair of cranes at the water's edge, beneath a tree with autumn leaves, symbolizing longevity and fidelity.

The sides, top, and back of the cabinet are also decorated, demonstrating the attention paid to the smallest details, no matter the angle from which it is viewed.
The top, decorated with a peacock overlooking a rock, watching a butterfly fly by, is surrounded by bamboo and flowering foliage.
The sides of the cabinet are decorated, on the left, with bamboo plants and on the right with graceful flowering plants from which a butterfly takes flight.
The back, meanwhile, is gracefully decorated with a plant with a very broad root, small clover-shaped leaves and elegant curling curves.

Rectangular in shape and with harmonious proportions, this cabinet rests on a curved crossbow plinth surrounded by a fine golden border following the curve. On either side of the corners, finely chiseled gilt brass trim, adorned with foliate decorations, gracefully reflecting the delicate aesthetics of the period, rises up the corners of the cabinet. This is followed by a series of four gilt brass hinges, all chiseled with stylized floral and geometric motifs. They overhang the contour, decorated with geometric wave-like shapes.

This type of furniture, called kodansu or sagemono dansu, was often used to store precious objects such as inks, brushes, seals, or sometimes personal documents. It could also serve as a box for toiletries or writing accessories in aristocratic homes or among scholars.

In its beautifully preserved lacquer, this small cabinet embodies the refined Edo period taste for idealized nature, symbolism, and craftsmanship. Its distinctive features come in particular from its colors and reliefs. Both the geese and the tree on the facade feature extraordinary details in the lacquer and colors of red, gold, and ochre. Furthermore, it depicts a greater perspective rarely found in Japanese art; the facade features birds in flight in the distance. Typically, the perspectives are much closer.
Its meticulous craftsmanship makes this work, although more modest in size than some others, a high-quality cabinet.

Edo period work in its beautiful original lacquer.
Cabinet dimensions: H 44.5 cm x W 45.5 cm x D 30.5 cm