Ivory tusk vase
Japanese, late Meiji
finely decorated on two sides with Shibayama work with a vertical cluster of symbolic flowers and foliage and an elaborated hanging floral basket above flowering shrubs below which stands a water ewer, the tusk is mounted upon a well carved stand with ornamental fence placed upon the elephant howdah style upon a saddle blanket decorated in hiramakie lacquer details with a dragon and floral medallions and a border of square panels of alternating coloured and inlaid details, the elephant stand four square with the body decorated with rows of variously coloured beads and the head supporting two small ivory tusks and a gold lacquer head harness and an ornamental flower head in mother-of-pearl