This Japanese traditional Damascene craft 24k gold inlay cigarette case is a beautiful landscape rendition of Mount Fuji with a rural house and watermill scene.
The traditional craft process of creating a Japanese Damascene 24k gold cigarette case is known as Nunome Zogan,which translates to "cloth-weave inlay". This meticulous metalworking technique uses mechanical friction to permanently fuse artistically placed precious metals into a steel base. The fine metal picture is created through ultra fine chisel lines scored into the surface by the artists miniature hammer - an incredibly dense, rough cross-hatched texture resembling the weave of silk or “cloth-weave” canvas. Wisps of pure 24 karat gold (and sterling silver for contrast) are positioned precisely over the weave design and then forcefully rubbed and tapped into the scored lines, permanently locked into place by the friction and force of the artisans steel tool.
This magnificent little cigarette case is marked with the expert metalsmith’s signature - I am unfortunately not able to identify it.
The case opens and closes securely and still contains the original elastic band inside. This band can be easily removed and replaced when cleaning the case.
I have polished the case and treated it with beeswax for lustre and to protect it against moisture and further tarnish. Do note that the gunmetal base does show signs of age related pitting. The case remains exceptionally beautiful for its age and perfectly useable.
