TWO VERY FINE MIXED METAL OJIME DEPICTING A TIGER AND A DRAGON

TWO VERY FINE MIXED METAL OJIME DEPICTING A TIGER AND A DRAGON

Japan, 19th century

The cylindrical ojime worked on gold ground with an openworked design of a silver dragon amid crashing waves. The shibuichi ojime naturalistically rendered with a waterfall in a forest and a striped tiger prowling in the woods; the stripes of the tiger and leaves of the pine worked in gold hirazogan.

HEIGHT 1.8 cm (the largest)

Condition: The silver ojime in good condition with minor wear and a few metal inlays lost. The shibuichi ojime in very good condition with only minor wear.
Provenance: Van Ham, Netsuke & Japanische Kunst, 8 June 2017, Cologne, lots 1700. A Belgian private collection, acquired from the above.