Komai Iron Inlaid Gold Dragon Pattern Cigarette Box

Length: 8.5cm Width: 7.5cm Height: 1cm

Komai Iron Inlaid Gold Dragon Pattern Cigarette Box

The cigarette box is rectangular with rounded corners, crafted using the traditional technique of iron inlay and gold plating. It is adorned with flowers, leaves, and intertwined vines, exuding luxury and opulence. The front depicts a dragon with its head raised, its scales layered, its claws sharp, and its whiskers finely detailed, seemingly swaying in the wind. The back features orchids, elegant and understated, evoking the charm of a secluded orchid in a valley. Inside, there is a square gold mark reading "Made in Kyoto, Japan by Sumomai," with a dragonfly decoration above.
"Inlaid gold" is a special technique that presents gold patterns on ironware. First, horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines are chiseled into the iron base. Then, gold foil is hammered into the diagonal lines to embed it into the iron base, making the surface smooth. The gold and silver are beautiful, the iron base is stable, and the two colors complement each other, making it luxurious and beautiful.

Komai Otojiro (1842-1917) was Kyoto's foremost master of gold and silver inlay, renowned for his unique technique known as fumo inlay. Due to the distinctive style and special techniques of his work, his fumo inlay is also referred to as Komai inlay. The Komai family had been swordsmiths in Kyoto for generations. At the age of thirteen, he apprenticed under Misaki Shusuke to learn inlay. After the Meiji Restoration edict in 1889, he began to transform his gold and silver inlay work into decorative items, ornaments, and vases favored by Westerners, targeting the overseas market. His works won numerous awards at the 1903 National Industrial Exposition, the 1904 Louisiana Exposition, and the 1905 Liège World's Fair in Belgium. The Komai family's craftsmanship is renowned for its exquisite carving and inlay techniques on gold and silver surfaces.