@greeno107 

It's really remarkable. Do you know if the subject matter is genre, auspicious, literary, or mythological?

Wow never indulged yourself.

My friend if you like it buy it for yourself. You have earned it.

You only live once. So enjoy it.

Most of the items I currently own are because I like to look at them.  Most people think I am crazy for buying these things because they don't understand etc. For instance the 18ct solid gold Visconti FP I recently purchased.

So...... buy it.

Mark 

@imperialfinegems when people are shocked at how much these items sell for, I sometimes ask them if they believe in the value of art. If so then I ask them if they believe that value is fixed or limited. Then they usually start to get it.

@imperialfinegems Oh, I'm not sure I meant that I never indulged myself. 

I've certainly indulged myself, but with experiences rather than with money, and definately not something only for my personal benefit.  I grew up relatively poor, so owning nice things only came to be part of my life in my 40's as a result of me learning to buy quality well below true market value, and selling the most valuable pieces to afford to live.

My Dad is even worse about things like this than I am.  He's 84, and a stoic Bostonian (it's part of our local culture)... still won't hire someone to rake his leaves because he feels that's a wastefull luxury despite having a good pention.  Go figure.

My wife and I took him out to dinner (our treat) when he came to visit us in West Palm Beach, just after I had a huge sale.  So, I took him to a fine steak house....plates started at $75, everything was a la carte, so at the end of the meal you're paying about $100 per person.

He took one look at the menu, yelled at me for about 20 minutes for even thinking to spend that kind of money on a single meal, but finally settled down after I agreed to split the check.  I guess some of his habits are showing up as I grow older.  

I never think of collecting as something just for oneself because you're preserving history, and this history can be shared, and eventually sold or passed along to friends/family.

But, this is a pretty big ticket item, and not something that is so easy to pass along given the size and the ivory. So, a little bit harder to process than the things I normally splurge on.

@steve That's a great question.  The Meiji was a period of a transition from old traditions, and the embracement of new ideas and culture.  What I see from the overall design is a concerted effort to demonstrate the apex of artistic prowess of Japanese craftsmen, and depictions that reflects Japanese literati idealism that embraces Daoism.  It would not surprise me to learn that this cabinet was made for one of the late 19th c. World's Fair exhibitions.

The top row of panels depict scholars which can be attributed to the pursuit of literati (scholarly) practices rooted in Chinese customs.

The second row is a single lacquerd panel of what appears to be the scholar riding a dragon, and might be the same scholar that is picking peaches on the far right top row.  Perhaps this is a less than subtle suggestion that scholarly pursuits are a way to control Japan (the dragon)?

The third row depicts depictions of 'karako', or ideal children (Chinese in style).  I found this interesting reference on the meaning of karako children... I think the last paragraph best describes what I feel is the meaning of the cabinet's depiction (children as treasures).

The children, i.e., these Japanese boys are dressed as Chinese boys or karako (唐子). They are wearing elaborate T'ang dynasty clothes. William Green wrote in "Treasures from heaven: children of Japan in the prints of ukiyo-e" in Andon 20, winter 1985 on page 86: "On important holidays such as the New Year, parents of means in Edo Japan togged out their little boys - we do not see girls as karako - in the plumed and tasseled hats, ornate jackets, baggy pants, and cloth slippers so typical of T'ang period Chinese court dress. Karako are the 'curious kids' of Japanese prints. Are they Chinese or Japanese? "

Tajima Tatsuya in "Karako Asobi: Images of Chinese Children at Play" in Images of Familial Intimacy in Eastern and Western Art discussed children's hairstyles in Edo period Japan. "...what about children's hairstyles? [The] child has a shaved head, with one tuft of hair left, and this hairstyle is not limited to this print. During the Edo period it was common practice to shave a young child’s head and leave one section unshaved. Indeed, the ancient custom in Japan was to completely shave a child’s head soon after birth and keep it shaven until the “growing hair” ceremony conducted when a child was 3 years old. However, by the Edo period, even after the growing hair ceremony, it was customary to shave a child’s head, leaving one tuft. Thanks to this tuft of remaining hair, this hairstyle came to be known as poppy (keshi), guy (yakko), or Chinese child (karako). The last term, karako, or literally Chinese children, is said to derive from the hairstyle worn by children in China."

"One modern scholar focused on this Chinese style of children in the Edo period, namely, Kuroda Hideo, a Japanese medieval period history scholar. Originally there was no custom in Japan for children to wear the karako hairstyle or to wear a child’s apron-like bib. Images of Chinese style karako were first brought to Japan in the medieval period, and this meant that some of the children depicted in Japanese medieval period genre scenes are shown with the karako hairstyle. However, this hairstyle was not defined as a general custom. Kuroda notes that the fashion for karako hairstyle among Japanese children did not begin until the pre-modern era, and that this reflected changing views of children. To quote Kuroda, “In the pre-modern era, the concept of ‘children as treasures’ spread in the general populace, and along with this concept, children were seen as beings to be protected given their fragile lives which could easily end and return their souls to the realm of the gods and Buddha. Hence, they became objects of affection that should be carefully nurtured, and this led to the creation of visual images of their adorable features. Given these factors, the karako can be seen as a reflection of and pictorial depiction of the pre-modern discovery of the cuteness of children.

Fourth row has Louhans on the outer panels, and a depiction of Kanon (equivelant to Guanyin) and a child disciples in the center panels.  

Fifth and final row are bird and flower depictions, iconic of Japanese culture... probably the most traditional component of the cabinet.

The overall carving of the wood shows various flowers, leaves, birds, and hollyhock leaves found in many Japanese family crests (mon), especially the famous Toyotomi clan, one of the great clans that help unify Japan during the Edo period.

@greeno107 Wow, I hadn't noticed the children were dressed in Chinese style. Thank you for this information. This emphasis on cherishing children reminds me of Enlightenment ideals, especially Roussseau. 

I agree that this was made for some special circumstance, propobaly a world's fair. And you're right: it is beyond museum quality and is also a valuable cultural arifact. 

@greeno107 If you decide not to get this, let me know where it is.  If Im nearby I will snag it.

@greeno107,

Yes I know value of money is important.

I have lived both the high life and the lowest @ homeless without any money. So I get your father's opinion.

I think you should buy it regardless of the issues with ivory.

It's one of the most splendid pieces I have seen.

Mark 

Am I missing something here who doesn’t buy that piece. A wise man once said. “I see hundreds more often than lost treasures.

@rahawkins If you're near north Florida, let me know.... You can come by my building and see if there's anything that might interest you.  I don't run a shop, and most of the things I own have only been in public view a few times over the years.

And, yes, if I decide to pass on the cabinet, I will post the contact info of the dealer that has it... it's in West Palm Beach, FL, but not at a regular shop, so I don't think anyone will be able to find it without some help.

@greeno107 I wont be able to make it to Florida in time.  Although I do live within a (long) day trip, so I might check out your inventory some time in the future.

Thanks for the photo, Tim. I am glad your wife is making you find room for it; it's lovely! 

@greeno107 Tim, I am sure that neither you nor your wife will regret this purchase in the long run. You mention that you have indulged yourself with experiences rather than money -- well, this will be an experience, too -- one that you will enjoy every time you look at it. Be sure to post a photo when you get it installed in your home so that we can share some of that enjoyment!

Carol