AN UNUSUAL JAPANESE TWO-TIER LACQUER JUBAKO

AN UNUSUAL JAPANESE TWO-TIER LACQUER JUBAKO

TAISHO OR SHOWA ERA, 20TH CENTURY

The stacked food box shaped as a large watermelon, with two compartments and a lid decorated to the exterior with striated green and russet lacquer, the handle to the top shaped as the stalk and with two leaves and tendrils extending to the side, embellished in raised gold and silver takamaki-e, the inside in red lacquer, in a fitted tomobako wood box inscribed 'made by Zofuku of Kyoto', 28cm. (4)

Zofuku of Kyoto set up the Nishimura Hikobe studio in 1910 which stayed active until c.1930.