MARIE HERE LISTING FOR TESSA AND JAMES FROM THE WATCHMAKER AND JEWELLERS ESTATE MUSEUM MORE OF THEIR MUSEUM ITEMS DURING WHICH WILL INCLUDE ANTIQUE CARVED OJIME AND NETSUKE PIECES AS WELL AS THE VICTORIAN CARVED KAURI AMBER/GUM ITEMS. THIS IS AN OJIME BEAD FROM THE ESTATE RARE DISPLAY COLLECTION OF OJIME AND NETSUKE FROM THE Edo era c1850/60 CABINET No. 38. This is another of the estates stunning and rare Japanese Ojime Bead which is carved and polished nutwood and it has set in it a lovely natural 7mm pearl with a 4mm genuine pale red cabochon ruby and 3mm cabochon natural garnet on one side and on the other side a 3mm cabochon green/blue jade and a 4mm cabochon natural garnet alongside the signature is attributed to Jikan Ganbun who was the well known and respected 19th century Ojime and Netsuke carver from the Edo era 1850 -1860 This Ojime bead has a gilded bronze collar top and bottom through which the cord runs through ( the cord with it is an old one with deep red silk and woven gold thread ), Ojime beads served as a functional accessory used in conjunction with a Netsuke and Sagemono or Inro that served as fasteners for embossed carrying cases, the Ojime bead was used to keep the cord of the Inro case secured and could be slid up and down the rope to change the tension of the case. The last picture I have listed shows the Ojime etc in use on clothing. This fine item measures almost 1.1/2 inches in length x 1 inch in width with a circumference of 3.3/4 inches. The notes in the estate Museum list this as bought in the late 1950's from a private collector of Ojime beads and Netsuke and most likely dates from the Edo era Circa 1850 or the Meiji Period Circa 1890 with the inlaid signature being attributed to Jikan Ganbun who lived during the 19th century, active in both Kyoto and Edo.
Please view the many pictures I have taken. BOXED POSTAGE NZ COURIER POST SIGNATURE TRACKING IS $13.50.