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A wonderful vintage mid 20th century jewellery box, dating to 1930-1960. Beautiful glossy lacquered finish and inlaid Mother of Pearl decoration. The interior has a new plush velvet panel. The box was made in Takaoka by the Kitamura Lacquerware Workshop.
FREE UK NEXT DAY DELIVERY. We Ship Worldwide.
This is a wonderful vintage mid 20th century jewellery box, dating to 1930-1960. It has a beautiful glossy lacquered finish and inlaid 'Aogai' Mother of Pearl decoration. The interior has a new plush velvet panel. The box was made in Takaoka by the Kitamura Lacquerware Workshop. This maker's logo is cleverly hidden among the Mother of Pearl motifs on the lid.
The Exterior
This box has a beautiful black lacquered finish and decorative symbolic inlaid Mother of Pearl motifs. These include a pretty Tsuru-mon (Crane Crest) which is a circular garland with a long necked Crane; a lovely Kiku-mon which is a Chrysanthemum flower; the Chinese character Kita; a plum blossom branch which is a family crest, and another smaller flower within a square form. Most of these have symbolic meanings which are detailed below.
The inlay is ultra thin irridescent 'Aogai' (Blue Shell) Mother of Pearl inlay. When combined with the lacquer we get the term 'Aogai Shikki' meaning Blue Shell Lacquerware. This refers to the traditional 'Raden' technique whereby the ultra thin pieces of shell are inlaid into the lacquered finish. This Raden technique is confirmed by the bottom row of gold characters within the lid.
The box has its original white metal hinges and catch.
The lacquer has been newly polished to bring back much of its original glossy sheen.
The Symbolism
The plum blossom (Ume) in Japanese art, is symbolic of perseverance, hope and renewal. Plum blossoms are the first flowers to bloom in the heart of winter, bravely pushing through the snow before Spring arrives.
The chrysanthemum symbolises nobility, longevity, and auspicious blessing. It infuses an element of luxury which indicates this box was designed as a highly formal celebratory piece.
The Kita character likely stands for Hokuriku / Kitaguni, meaning the 'Northern Country' region of Japan. This is the historic poetic name for the Toyama and Ishikawa prefectures which is where Takaoka lacquerware originates.
The Maker
This beautiful box was made by the Kitamura Lacquerware Workshop. This is revealed by the Mother of Pearl Kita character. The Mother of Pearl plum branch within its diamond shaped frame is the maker's logo.
The Era / Identity
This wonderful box was made during the Shōwa-era between the 1930s and 1960s. During this golden era of Japanese department stores, families would order deluxe master crafted shell lacquer boxes with these beautiful symbolic Mother of Pearl motifs to give as a luxury Wedding or Commemorative gift box.
The Interior
The interior has a large and relatively deep storage compartment. This has a beautiful deep red lacquered finish.
A new removable bespoke red velvet panel has been added to the base of the compartment. This makes the box more functional for jewellery storage! The lacquered finish beneath the velvet panel is so lovely and in such good condition, that we decided to make a panel that is removable rather than fixed. A silk ribbon pull has been added to the panel to enable it to be lifted out of the box with ease.
The bottom four gold painted characters within the lid translate into 'Aogai Shikki' which was detailled above. The top four translate to 'Specially Made / Deluxe Edition' (Tokusei) and 'Registered' (Tōroku) usually implying a design or trademark'.
The New Velvet Panel
This has been completely handmade to ensure that it fits the compartment perfectly. A quality premium cotton velvet has been used. This is plush and has a beautiful tight weave. The panel is padded, providing cushioned protection for jewellery.
Our Refurbishment Work/Service
You can view more of our refurbishment work by visiting our Jewellery Box Lining Service and Jewellery Box Lining Portfolio pages. Please contact us if you'd like to bring one of your own jewellery boxes back to life!
Condition
This beautiful box is in very good condition for its age. It has sound structure and no nasty cracks or scratches. There is minor light wear to the black lacquered finish and a small graze to the bottom rear right corner. This is barely noticeable as it is along the very bottom edge. A small section of the inlaid chrysanthemum is missing.
The hinges and catch are still in good working order.
The interior velvet panel, being new, is in immaculate condition.
Measurements
Please use the following measurements to ensure the box is the right size for your requirements.
Length: 28.8cm
Width: 12.2cm
Height: 6.0cm
Interior Compartment:
27.5 by 11.0cm with a 3.5cm depth. (5.0cm depth with the velvet panel removed).
Postage
This box will be posted FREE within the UK by Royal Mail Next Day Special Delivery.
International postage is £30 by Royal Mail International Tracked and/or Signed For postage. Delivery is fast, within 3-5 working days to Europe and 5-7 working days to the rest of the world. Delivery may be longer depending on the speed of your local postal service and/or if your parcel has to go through customs. Please note that we cannot deliver to international PO boxes as we use a secure insured postal service that requires a signature.
Customs/VAT fees and Import Tariffs
International customers are responsible for paying any applicable customs duties, import tariffs, customs clearance/handling fees and/or VAT. These fees are NOT included in the prices of our boxes or our postage fees.
Please visit our Orders & Delivery page for further details.
A wonderful vintage mid 20th century jewellery box, dating to 1930-1960. Beautiful glossy lacquered finish and inlaid Mother of Pearl decoration. The interior has a new plush velvet panel. The box was made in Takaoka by the Kitamura Lacquerware Workshop.
A wonderful vintage mid 20th century jewellery box, dating to 1930-1960. Beautiful glossy lacquered finish and inlaid Mother of Pearl decoration. The interior has a new plush velvet panel. The box was made in Takaoka by the Kitamura Lacquerware Workshop.
FREE UK NEXT DAY DELIVERY. We Ship Worldwide.
This is a wonderful vintage mid 20th century jewellery box, dating to 1930-1960. It has a beautiful glossy lacquered finish and inlaid 'Aogai' Mother of Pearl decoration. The interior has a new plush velvet panel. The box was made in Takaoka by the Kitamura Lacquerware Workshop. This maker's logo is cleverly hidden among the Mother of Pearl motifs on the lid.
The Exterior
This box has a beautiful black lacquered finish and decorative symbolic inlaid Mother of Pearl motifs. These include a pretty Tsuru-mon (Crane Crest) which is a circular garland with a long necked Crane; a lovely Kiku-mon which is a Chrysanthemum flower; the Chinese character Kita; a plum blossom branch which is a family crest, and another smaller flower within a square form. Most of these have symbolic meanings which are detailed below.
The inlay is ultra thin irridescent 'Aogai' (Blue Shell) Mother of Pearl inlay. When combined with the lacquer we get the term 'Aogai Shikki' meaning Blue Shell Lacquerware. This refers to the traditional 'Raden' technique whereby the ultra thin pieces of shell are inlaid into the lacquered finish. This Raden technique is confirmed by the bottom row of gold characters within the lid.
The box has its original white metal hinges and catch.
The lacquer has been newly polished to bring back much of its original glossy sheen.
The Symbolism
The plum blossom (Ume) in Japanese art, is symbolic of perseverance, hope and renewal. Plum blossoms are the first flowers to bloom in the heart of winter, bravely pushing through the snow before Spring arrives.
The chrysanthemum symbolises nobility, longevity, and auspicious blessing. It infuses an element of luxury which indicates this box was designed as a highly formal celebratory piece.
The Kita character likely stands for Hokuriku / Kitaguni, meaning the 'Northern Country' region of Japan. This is the historic poetic name for the Toyama and Ishikawa prefectures which is where Takaoka lacquerware originates.
The Maker
This beautiful box was made by the Kitamura Lacquerware Workshop. This is revealed by the Mother of Pearl Kita character. The Mother of Pearl plum branch within its diamond shaped frame is the maker's logo.
The Era / Identity
This wonderful box was made during the Shōwa-era between the 1930s and 1960s. During this golden era of Japanese department stores, families would order deluxe master crafted shell lacquer boxes with these beautiful symbolic Mother of Pearl motifs to give as a luxury Wedding or Commemorative gift box.
The Interior
The interior has a large and relatively deep storage compartment. This has a beautiful deep red lacquered finish.
A new removable bespoke red velvet panel has been added to the base of the compartment. This makes the box more functional for jewellery storage! The lacquered finish beneath the velvet panel is so lovely and in such good condition, that we decided to make a panel that is removable rather than fixed. A silk ribbon pull has been added to the panel to enable it to be lifted out of the box with ease.
The bottom four gold painted characters within the lid translate into 'Aogai Shikki' which was detailled above. The top four translate to 'Specially Made / Deluxe Edition' (Tokusei) and 'Registered' (Tōroku) usually implying a design or trademark'.
The New Velvet Panel
This has been completely handmade to ensure that it fits the compartment perfectly. A quality premium cotton velvet has been used. This is plush and has a beautiful tight weave. The panel is padded, providing cushioned protection for jewellery.
Our Refurbishment Work/Service
You can view more of our refurbishment work by visiting our Jewellery Box Lining Service and Jewellery Box Lining Portfolio pages. Please contact us if you'd like to bring one of your own jewellery boxes back to life!
Condition
This beautiful box is in very good condition for its age. It has sound structure and no nasty cracks or scratches. There is minor light wear to the black lacquered finish and a small graze to the bottom rear right corner. This is barely noticeable as it is along the very bottom edge. A small section of the inlaid chrysanthemum is missing.
The hinges and catch are still in good working order.
The interior velvet panel, being new, is in immaculate condition.
Measurements
Please use the following measurements to ensure the box is the right size for your requirements.
Length: 28.8cm
Width: 12.2cm
Height: 6.0cm
Interior Compartment:
27.5 by 11.0cm with a 3.5cm depth. (5.0cm depth with the velvet panel removed).
Postage
This box will be posted FREE within the UK by Royal Mail Next Day Special Delivery.
International postage is £30 by Royal Mail International Tracked and/or Signed For postage. Delivery is fast, within 3-5 working days to Europe and 5-7 working days to the rest of the world. Delivery may be longer depending on the speed of your local postal service and/or if your parcel has to go through customs. Please note that we cannot deliver to international PO boxes as we use a secure insured postal service that requires a signature.
Customs/VAT fees and Import Tariffs
International customers are responsible for paying any applicable customs duties, import tariffs, customs clearance/handling fees and/or VAT. These fees are NOT included in the prices of our boxes or our postage fees.
Please visit our Orders & Delivery page for further details.
For more information regarding our payments and returns policy, please click this link.
For more information regarding our orders and delivery policy, please click this link.
