Description

Decorated with millefiori style hand carved flowers 

From our Boxes collection, we are delighted to introduce to the market this Japanese Shibayama Box by Masamitsu, a well known Shibayama specialist of the Meiji Period. The Shibayama Box of large rectangular design with curved corners is extensively decorated to the outside with hand carved millefiori (thousand flowers) style design in mother of pearl abalone shell, coral and ivory. The Shibayama Box features large blossoming flowers including Chrysanthemums, Camellia’s and Cosmos with a silver rim around the lid and is signed to the inner lid by the artist Masamitsu on a mother of pearl tablet reserve. The interior and base of the box are made with a layer of a nashiji lacquer which gives a metallic finish. The Japanese Shibayama Millefiori Box by Masamitsu dates to the Meiji period (1868-1912) around the turn of the 20th century.

Shibayama is named after the Shibayama area of present-day Chiba prefecture, Kantō region of Honshu, Japan . The shibayama technique was created by Ōnoki Senzō, an Edo haberdasher who lived during the An’ei era (1772–1781). His style of ivory inlaying became so popular that he named works done with the inlay technique after his hometown of Shibayama and later also adopted this name as his surname.

Meiji period (1868-1912) was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization by Western powers to the new paradigm of a modern, industrialized nation state and emergent great power, influenced by Western scientific, technological, philosophical, political, legal, and aesthetic ideas. It was a time when the greatest of artists turned their hands to beautiful objects and heavily exported to the West to countries such as the United Kingdom and the USA growing the Japanese art market into a industrial powerhouse.

With every purchase from Mark Goodger Antiques, you will receive our latest catalogue, a Certificate of Authenticity, detailed care instructions for your chosen piece and an independent invoice (for insurance purposes) will be enclosed. As well as being protected by a no-hassle, money-back policy, your piece will be entirely insured during the shipping process to ensure the safety of your item.

Additional information