Pair Of Wedding Cosmetic Boxes Called Fasubako - Japan

Pair of WEDDING COSMETIC BOXES called Fasubako
Japan
Wood, lacquer
89
W: 19; L: 19; H: 9 cm
(slight minor chips)

Pair of boxes with symmetrical decoration featuring nashiji lacquer for the "pear-shaped" background and takamaki-e for the designs of foliage scrolls and family crests. They are square in shape with cut edges—or so-called octagonal—and each rests on two continuous tongue-and-groove feet.

These boxes were adorned with the two family crests (mon) of the new alliance. Thus, on this pair we find the mon depicting the triple leaf of the hollyhock (aoi) within a circle (maruni mitsubaaoi mon), from the Owari branch of the powerful Tokugawa clan, and the crest depicting two wisteria branches, belonging to the powerful Fujiwara clan—and more specifically to one of its five branches: the Ichijo. These motifs are interwoven with traditional plant-based arabesques called karakusa, which translates to “Chinese grass.”

These cosmetic boxes were used to store makeup, incense, or mirrors.

Ref. 7373

Text and photos © FCP CORIDON