AN EXTENSIVE JAPANESE GOLD LACQUER WEDDING TROUSSEAU

AN EXTENSIVE JAPANESE GOLD LACQUER WEDDING TROUSSEAU
EDO PERIOD, 18TH/19TH CENTURY

The lavish set decorated in gold hiramaki-e and mura-nashiji lacquer with a dense pattern of sasa-no-ha (bamboo leaves) and scrolling tendrils; comprising: a large te-arai (washbasin raised on three feet), a hazo (ewer with lid and spout-cover), a large hollow cylinder with quatrefoil apertures to the sides, eight boxes of various sizes and shapes with covers and some with inner trays, probably used to contain cosmetics, one containing eighteen brushes for make-up, another with two brushes on rests; a footed bowl, a cabinet with three drawers below an integral tray; two cases with lids enclosing bronze hand mirrors, and a folding stand; a tenmoku-dai (cup stand), and a number of combs and wooden implements for make-up application; 53cm max.

Provenance: the Tomkinson Family Collection. Purchased from Christie's London, 13th November 1995, lot 488; a copy of the original invoice is available.

Commissioned by powerful daimyō for their daughters, these impressive trousseaux were more than just possessions; they symbolized the family's social standing and the political alliances formed through the marriage. Preparations for the trousseau would begin as soon as an engagement was announced. As the bride was marrying into the groom’s family, her trousseau was a crucial part of the dowry, and it would be transported to the groom’s estate in an elegant wedding procession.