Incense-utensil box
Wood, lacquer, gold, silver, mother-of-pearl, precious stones Signed Kanshosai with monogram Edo period, 18th/19th c. Inv. CFC.68
The box
This box is lavishly decorated with a lively composition of twenty-six dragonflies. In Japanese, a dragonfly is a symbol of victory and good luck, favoured by the samurai and often depicted on sword fittings and armour. This motif was a source of inspiration in the work of Tiffany and Lalique.
