{"product_id":"paire-de-kaioke-a-decor-d-eventails-kamon-de-la-famille-ichijo-japon-epoque-edo","title":"Pair of kaioke decorated with fans, kamon of the Ichijō family, Japan, Edo period","description":"\u003ch2\u003ePair of kaioke with fan decoration, Ichijō family kamon\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJapan, Edo period, late 18th - early 19th century. Black \u003cem\u003eroiro\u003c\/em\u003e lacquer, gold \u003cem\u003emaki-e\u003c\/em\u003e decoration on a black ground and on gold grounds, using different densities and shades of gold powder.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis pair of \u003cem\u003ekaioke\u003c\/em\u003e (貝桶), literally \"shell containers,\" was intended to store and display the shells used for \u003cem\u003ekai-awase\u003c\/em\u003e, an aristocratic shell-matching game. The Japanese term does not use \u003cem\u003ehako\u003c\/em\u003e \/ \u003cem\u003ebako\u003c\/em\u003e, \"box,\" but \u003cem\u003eoke\u003c\/em\u003e, which refers to a cylindrical container or tub; this nuance corresponds to the tall shape of these large ceremonial vessels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe boxes have a cylindrical shape with cut corners and each rest on a footed tray. The black \u003cem\u003eroiro\u003c\/em\u003e lacquer surface is enlivened by a decoration of unfurled fans. Each fan forms a pictorial reserve, with landscapes, floral motifs, and decorative compositions rendered in gold \u003cem\u003emaki-e\u003c\/em\u003e. The alternation of black grounds, gold grounds, and brown-gold nuances gives the decoration a strong presence without disrupting the overall balance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe trays bear \u003cem\u003ekamon\u003c\/em\u003e identified as those of the Ichijō family. This heraldic presence places the object in a context of aristocratic commission or use, and not in ordinary decorative production.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Ichijō family, or Ichijō-ke, belongs to the \u003cem\u003ego-sekke\u003c\/em\u003e, the five regent houses descended from the Fujiwara clan, along with the Konoe, Kujō, Nijō, and Takatsukasa. During the Edo period, these lineages maintained considerable court prestige and remained associated with the highest aristocratic offices, particularly those of \u003cem\u003esesshō\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ekampaku\u003c\/em\u003e. The presence of the Ichijō kamon on \u003cem\u003ekaioke\u003c\/em\u003e thus links the set to a very high aristocratic milieu, where lacquer objects participated in family ceremonial and the affirmation of rank.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eKai-awase\u003c\/em\u003e consisted of finding the two valves of the same shell. In the context of marriage, this game took on a strong symbolic value: two valves from the same shell could only match each other, evoking marital union, fidelity, and the harmony of the couple. \u003cem\u003eKaioke\u003c\/em\u003e were thus among the refined objects of the aristocratic trousseau.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGood state of preservation. Minimal traces of use consistent with the age of the set.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDimensions: height 35 cm; diameter 48 cm.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sinapango ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54219113988442,"sku":null,"price":8500.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0957\/8568\/1242\/files\/005EFFDF-46C6-45E5-A557-D477378CDF4D.jpg?v=1780236507","url":"https:\/\/sinapango.com\/en\/products\/paire-de-kaioke-a-decor-d-eventails-kamon-de-la-famille-ichijo-japon-epoque-edo","provider":"Sinapango ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}