A beautiful marquetry work handbag, made golden with 24K gold leaf, tastefully designed with tsavorite studded and shell inlay Egyptian flowers and two beautiful crystals mounted atop the bag as functioning locks. The handle, an early 20th century Japanese lacquered hairpin is held onto the bag with dual tone twisted fabric and the bag sits firm on gold plated silver stands.
On the straw marquetry work – Its a craft very similar to that of wood marquetry, except that straw replaces the wood veneer. It is thought to have first been practised in the East; examples were brought to England in the 17th century. To mimic the varying shades of wood veneer, rice straw has to be split, then soaked in cold, warm, or hot water. The strips are then ironed, and there will be a variety of tones from pale gold to deepest dark brown.
The hairpin, a Meiji period Maki-e Lacquer work, crafted for Geishas (made in Circa 1900) and, designed with the inspiration of flowers, from the gardens of ancient imperial palaces and forts of Japan. The Hair Pin, a two-piece stick shaped “Kanzashi” featuring a design has been maki-e lacquered, i.e., sprinkled with gold or silver powder onto a thick layer of lacquer as a decoration, a complicated and highly refined and time-consuming application. The hair pin resembles sheathed swords, with one end being removable for it to be placed in the hairstyle. Professional Kanzashi craftspeople typically undergo a five- to 10-year traditional apprenticeship to learn the trade.
The masterful elegant piece took over 4 months with over 8 craftsmen involved at various stages.
Tsavorites: 5.19 ct.
White Crystals: 26.0 ct.
Dimension: 30(H) x 22(L) x 10.5(W) cm.
Weight: 620 g.
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