Small 18th Century Edo Cabinet

An elegant and refined small Edo cabinet from the first half of the 18th century, made for export to Europe.

Resting on its dark wood base, it presents a perfectly balanced silhouette, enhanced by a rich decoration of landscapes, architecture, and floral motifs.

The front consists of two doors, surrounded by a wide polychrome border of green and red floral scrolls on a light background. The center, meanwhile, features a black background, depicting lake and rural landscapes, with Asian buildings, trees, and stylized rocks in gold and red, typical of the oriental style. The top and sides feature similar decorations, and two carrying handles are attached to either side of the cabinet.

A large, intricately carved lock adorns the center of the cabinet.

The interior features an unusual and highly distinctive design.

It features five drawers in two rows, the lower section framed by red and blue painted decorations on a white background and interlacing, and featuring gilded country and lake landscapes in the center.

In contrast, more than half of the cabinet, the upper section, depicts a small miniature theater. Gilded columns, openwork balustrades, finely decorated panels, and stepped steps create a perspective architecture, evoking a palace scene.

In the background of this design, what appear to be doors leading to interior rooms form a drawer on either side.

A central drawer beneath the columns forms a staircase.

On either side, two drawers, decorated in the same way as the five below, are hidden behind the balustrades.

Finally, three less visible drawers are hidden at the top of the theater.

The interior doors are decorated with flowering branches, contrasting with the theatrical decor.

Of rare elegance, this fully lacquered piece is a perfect testament to the refined and symbolic aesthetic that characterized Japanese decorative art of this period.

This high-quality cabinet, whose distinctive palatial theater setting makes it a unique work, both aesthetic and practical, thanks to its numerous drawers, both visible and hidden, and the very high-quality carvings and theatrical trompe l'oeil.

Edo period, 18th century, in its beautiful original lacquer.

Antique rectangular base.

Provenance: Bargany House, Girvan, Ayrshire.

Total dimensions: H 132 cm x W 45 cm x D 33 cm

Cabinet dimensions: H 44.5 cm x W 45 cm x D 27.5 cm

Base dimensions: H 87.5 cm x L 45 cm x D 33 cm