AN IMPRESSIVE AND RARE SOMADA STYLE LACQUER ‘BOTAN SHISHI’ KATANA DISPLAY CABINET (KATANA KAKE)
Lot 127 - JPN1225

Japan, 19^th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

A cabinet-form sword display stand, featuring four arched supports for the presentation of katana and a fitted lower case with three small drawers and one larger central drawer. Each drawer is mounted with gilt-metal handles finely cast in the form of samurai bridle bits (kutsuwa), a refined reference to the equestrian traditions of the warrior class. The wood core is finished in lustrous black lacquer and decorated throughout in Somada style aogai and raden.

The surfaces are densely inlaid with exceptionally thin mother-of-pearl pieces forming scrolling floral arabesques; the foliage is composed of countless small curved fragments of iridescent shell that shimmer in shades of blue and green, the blossoms rendered in white shell, and the stems traced in fine gilded lines. All edges and fields are framed by continuous micro-mosaic borders of minute square nacre tiles, the hallmark of Somada workmanship. The largest drawer features an elaborate design of two shishi (lion dogs), symbols of protection and courage, while the sides are richly adorned with floral sprays of peony.

SIZE 40.3 × 49.2 × 24.2 cm

Condition: Very good condition, the inlays overall remarkably well preserved with only typical light crackling and tiny losses. The edges with typical cracks and nicks, some with associated repairs, and a larger crack to the back.

The precise mosaic borders, carefully patterned shell fields, and delicate gilt linework identify this piece as Somada style, associated with the Osaka–Kyoto sphere. Cabinet-form katana kake with such extensive raden decoration are exceptionally rare; the inclusion of drawers—each with kutsuwa-form fittings—suggests a high-status domestic display, intended both to present blades and to store small sword fittings or accessories.

The Somada style is attributed to specialist lacquerers active from the late 17th to early 18th century in the Kyoto and Osaka region, often associated with the name Somada and their followers. Hallmarks include micro-mosaic borders made from countless tiny shell and gold pieces, crisp geometric diapers framing pictorial panels, and floral scrolls built from uniformly cut nacre fragments linked by fine gilded lines. The idiom remained popular through the 19th century in boxes, inro, and occasional furniture forms. Works of this quality—such as the present cabinet—display extraordinary precision of the borders, subtle iridescence of the shell, and a striking harmony between martial and decorative symbolism.

The pairing of shishi and peonies (botan shishi) is a long-standing motif in Japanese traditional art. The shishi, a Buddhist symbol of power and protection, was regarded as the ‘king of the animals’, while the peony, symbolizing wealth and good fortune, was considered the ‘queen of the flowers’, being both together considered as fitting and auspicious companions.

Auction comparison:
Compare a related two-tiered suzuribako executed in the Somada style, measuring 23.1 x 15.4 x 9.4 cm, dated to the Meiji period, at Christie’s, Crafted Landscapes: The Ankracrona Collection of Japanese Lacquer and Asian Works of Art, 1 October 2020, New York, lot 10 (sold for USD 7,500 or approx. EUR 8,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).