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Fine Japanese Inlaid Makie Lacquer Comb Set browse these categories for related items... All Items: Archives:Regional Art:Asian:Japanese: Pre 1920: item # 855198 Please refer to our stock # 11F-147 when inquiring.
B & C Antiques P. O. Box 291 Derby, CT 06418 203-929-7312 Guest Book SOLD |
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This lavishly decorated Japanese makie lacquer hair comb (“kushi”) and ornamental hair bar (“kogai”) set is decorated en suite and dates to the Meiji/Taisho period, early 20th century. The front side of the comb is painstakingly decorated with a profusion of flowers and leaves done in gold hiramakie (flat lacquer), takamakie (raised lacquer) and iridescent “aogai” (abalone shell) inlay on a rich black roiro-nuri lacquer ground overlayed with sections of green and red lacquer. Roiro is a technique using the highest quality black urushi lacquer, applied and polished in several layers. It is only used on the highest quality lacquer items. The gold lacquer decoration extends extensively into the tines and over onto the reverse side of the comb. This floral motif is also carried onto the kogai, where additional flower heads inlaid in silver are scattered among the lacquer blossoms on both ends. The original wood box is lined with off-white silk and covered with red silk. To Japanese women, hair ornaments were much more than mere accessories to feminine hair-do and attire. The comb progressed from a utilitarian object to a highly decorative one on which craftsmen and artists lavished their imagination and skill. In keeping with their inclination to beautify even ordinary items of everyday use, the Japanese turned hair ornaments into extraordinary artistic objects that mirrored the cultural and social history of the period. They reflected the life and status of their wearers, who were geisha, courtesans, ladies in the court and women in their homes. In their own small way, combs and hairpins provide a miniature glimpse of the exceptional beauty of Japanese art. (See the wonderful article “Combs and Hairpins” by Sharon Ziesnitz and Takeguchi Momoko in DARUMA 35, Summer 2002.) CONDITION is excellent. DIMENSIONS: Comb is 3 ¾” (9.5 cm) x 2 ¼” (5.8 cm), hairpin is 6 ½” (16.5 cm) long. Box is 7 ¾” (19.7 cm) x 4” (10.1 cm) x 1” (2.5 cm) deep. |
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