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Directory: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese: Lacquer: Pre 1900: Item # 1489854

Please refer to our stock # TRC240309 when inquiring.

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Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
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Kamigamo District
Kyoto, Japan


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Japanese Jubako, traditional stacked lacquerware food boxes, represent not only culinary refinement but also an important aspect of Japanese food culture. These elegantly tiered containers, often adorned with intricate designs and vibrant colors, are integral to the presentation of special occasion meals such as New Year’s celebrations and formal picnics. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, Jubako boxes like the one featured here showcase the artistry of Japanese lacquerware artisans, who meticulously apply layers of lacquer and delicate decorations like maki-e (gold lacquer design). With each layer of lacquer applied an artwork like this must be carefully dried before the next layer can be added. As you may imagine this can take many months and sometimes over a year for the completion of just one artwork. As symbols of hospitality and abundance, Jubako boxes carry cultural significance, embodying the spirit of sharing and celebration that defines Japanese culinary traditions.

This particular Jubako is especially lovely and exceptionally eye-catching. Very likely dating from the early Meiji period when production of such pieces enjoyed a hey-day, the balance of color, texture, theme, and the attention to detail is really striking. The type of lacquer and technique used here is known as Nashii Kōrin Maki-e or “pear-skin-texture lacquer with gold painting.” Though Jubako from this period are not necessarily rare, it can be a considerable challenge to find pieces with this much allure. Being antique and likely seeing over 150 years of use on special occasions there are several small chips in the varnish and in the mother-of-pearl leaves but nothing that detracts from the overall brilliance of this exceptional artwork. The lacquer stand measures 30.5cm across at its widest point, each individual box is 28cm across, and the height of the entire set is 53cm. The set comes with an antique wood box to house the tray and the stacked boxes separately.

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