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Beautiful and unusual antique Japanese Satsuma covered box, dating to the late Meiji period, approximately 1890-1910.
This striking piece is raised on three sculptural karako boys, or Chinese-style children, who appear to support the vessel on their raised hands and shoulders. The three-dimensional figures give the piece a particularly distinctive form.
The cream-colored crackle-glazed earthenware is richly hand decorated in polychrome enamels. The domed lid features an elegant crane surrounded by large flowers and foliage in shades of pink, lavender, green, red and white, along with a sculptural fruit-form finial. Additional floral decoration surrounds the body with repeating geometric borders in green and iron red. Iron-red Japanese characters are painted on the exterior.
An especially interesting detail is the very old handwritten paper label still attached to the lid reading “Satsuma $395.” I have left the label completely undisturbed. This piece came from a high-end, longtime collector of other antique Japanese Satsuma karako-form pieces.
This example has wonderful age and character and has not been cleaned by me.
There are a couple of hairlines and areas of old repair or stabilization, primarily noticeable when the lid is removed and the interior is closely examined. I did not initially notice these areas until opening the piece. They are not especially conspicuous during normal display.
There is expected overall glaze crazing and minor age-related surface wear consistent with an antique ceramic of this age. I do not see any other significant visible damage. Please review the detailed photographs carefully, including the interior photographs showing the old repairs.
To my eye, the old repairs are part of the history of the piece and complement the Japanese aesthetic concept of wabi-sabi, in which age, wear and imperfection can contribute to an object's character.
Approximate Measurements:
Height: 5.75 inches
Width: 5.25 inches
Weight: 1 lb, 1.8 oz
A distinctive and highly decorative antique Japanese ceramic that presents beautifully from every angle.
Ships the same day or next business day, including Saturdays, carefully packaged in a sturdy box.
Thank you for looking at my listing, and please feel free to reach out with any questions.
