Image: Small cabinet shaped like a pagoda - RC114-1

Description: Iron cabinet in the form of a pagoda, decorated with gold wire inlay in kinsujizogan and gold leaf in flat areas in nunomezogan. Signed on the base "Nippon Kuni, Kyoto Ju, Komai sei" - "Made by Komai, resident of Kyoto in the country of Japan". The two-tiered pagoda is topped by a Buddhist flaming jewel (of gilt bronze) which bears the Imperial 16-leaf Chrysanthemum crest over a lotus base bearing the Matsudaira crest. The gable ends also bear the Imperial crest in the form of a tile as do the roof ridges. The upper vertical part of the roof is decorated with gold wire inlay and gold leaf applied to a scratched ground in geometrical patterns. The six verges are each decorated with a Hō-ō bird in clouds in gold wire applied in kinsujizogan with gold leaf on a prepared ground. A small gilt bonze bell hangs from each ridge end. The upper balcony has six sides with panels depicting buildings in a landscape. The front of the upper level has opening doors which reveal panels of cherry blossom (central three) peonies (adjacent two) and iris (split inner part of doors). The upper part of the pagoda lifts off to reveal a gilt bronze liner. The eaves of the lower part of the pagoda are decorated with pairs of cranes in clouds in nunomezogan with gold leaf. The design of the upper half of the pagoda is repeated with the Imperial crests in the same positions. The six sides have larger panels of landscape scenes with the central panel being split to form doors which open to reveal further decorated panels. In addition there are two small drawers at the top of the open pagoda, one large drawer on the base of this level and two smaller ones on top of this. The half panel on the left depicts a turtle in bamboo, the adjacent panel has a bird on a magnolia tree; the right half-panel has a bird on a willow, the panel adjacent has a crane under a pine tree by a stream cascading over rocks. All are decorated with gold wire inlay in kinsujizogan with a border of takazogan silver wire. The railed balcony has typical post-ends. The base has panels of irises through which a staggered bridge (yatsuhashi) meanders - a scene from the Ise Monogatari. Every part of the surface of the pagoda has been covered in geometric diaper patterns in kinsujizogan and the Imperial crest has been liberally applied overall. Dated to circa 1890.
Title: Small cabinet shaped like a pagoda
Credit: Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, Bournemouth, United Kingdom
Author: Komai
Permission: Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or fewer. You must also include a United States public domain tag to indicate why this work is in the public domain in the United States. Note that a few countries have copyright terms longer than 70 years: Mexico has 100 years, Jamaica has 95 years, Colombia has 80 years, and Guatemala and Samoa have 75 years. This image may not be in the public domain in these countries, which moreover do not implement the rule of the shorter term. Honduras has a general copyright term of 75 years, but it does implement the rule of the shorter term. Copyright may extend on works created by French who died for France in World War II (more information), Russians who served in the Eastern Front of World War II (known as the Great Patriotic War in Russia) and posthumously rehabilitated victims of Soviet repressions (more information). This file has been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights. https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/PDMCreative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0falsefalse
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