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An Unusual Bamboo & Lacquer Tonkotsu Tobacco Container browse these categories for related items... All Items: Antiques:Regional Art:Asian:Japanese:Netsuke and Related: Pre 1900: item # 438215
Ichiban Japanese & Oriental Antiques Post Office Box 395 Marion, CT 06444-0395 203.272.7392 Guest Book $795.00 |
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| A two piece bamboo body tonkotsu with applied decoration of five Japanese coins – three on one side (one of which is carved from ivory) and two on the other side. The piece measures 3 3/16" wide by 1 1/2" deep and is 2 5/16" high. The four non ivory coins appear to be made of lacquered wood. The tonkotsu is in excellent condition with no chips or cracks or restorations – there is even a faint lingering hint of tobacco aroma on the inside. We date this piece to the late Edo to early Meiji period, circa 1850-1880s. In that superb reference classic, "Inro and Other Miniature Forms of Japanese Lacquer Art" by Melvin and Betty Jahss, Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1971 they say this about tonkotsu - - "The tobacco box was used as an alternative to the tobacco pouch and is usually rectangular in shape with a small lid on top. It is about the size of an inro, being slightly wider and deeper, and is usually made of wood, which is often lacquered." The tonkotsu is a container for tobacco and, as in this case, usually has only a single compartment. Tonkotsu are usually made of wood and decorated with lacquer – this example is quite unusual because the body of the piece is made from bamboo – a material that is rarely seen used for these items. | ||||||||||||||
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