TWO JAPANESE GOLD LACQUER KŌGŌ (INCENSE BOXES)

TWO JAPANESE GOLD LACQUER KŌGŌ (INCENSE BOXES)
EDO/MEIJI, 18TH/19TH CENTURY

The largest a square-section box and cover decorated with mon (family crests) in gold hiramaki-e and nashiji lacquer; the other shaped as a rectangular pouch tied with ribbons and decorated with maple leaves, all rendered in gold and red hiramaki-e with kirikane details on a black ground, the inside in nashiji with two collection paper labels reading 'Tomkinson Collection 117' and '2154/2'; together with a gold nashiji and hiramaki-e lacquer cylinder, possibly a case for a hanko seal, subtly decorated with mitsudomoe (three-comma), a mon and stylised waves, in a fitted silk pouch. (6)

Provenance: all three from the Tomkinson Family Collection; the pouch-shaped kōgō first collected by Michael Tomkinson (1841-1921) and thence by descent.

Literature: the same kōgō listed in M Tomkinson, A Japanese Collection Made by Michael Tomkinson, vol. II, p.16, no. 117.