Japanese copper shop lantern
Price: € 850,00
A large and rare Japanese copper shop lantern 軒行燈 (noki andon), very likely made for the historic Heigo Pharmacy 平五薬局 (Heigo Yakkyoku) in Uda Matsuyama, present-day Uda City, Nara Prefecture.
These traditional lanterns were suspended from the eaves or displayed at the entrance of shops, where they served both as illumination and as a form of advertising or identification.
The lantern is constructed from copper with an attractive dark patina and areas of verdigris. It is designed in the form of a small architectural structure, surmounted by a pagoda-style roof with prominently upturned warabite-shaped corners and a finial above.
Below the roof are four horizontally arranged lobed openings, originally set with frosted glass. One of these glass panels is now missing.
The main body is enclosed by four larger glazed panels. Two red glass panels bear the character 薬 (kusuri, “medicine”), clearly identifying the lantern with a pharmacy or medicine-related establishment. A hinged side door is inscribed 平五 (Heigo), while the remaining side is fitted with frosted glass.
The combination of the characters 薬 and 平五 is particularly significant. A documented pharmacy named Heigo Pharmacy 平五薬局 (Heigo Yakkyoku) still exists in the historic Uda Matsuyama district of Nara Prefecture, an area with a long history of medicine production and trade. The pharmacy is recorded as having been established during the late Edo period, although published sources differ slightly on the exact year, giving either Tenpô 9 (1838) or Tenpô 12 (1841). It specialised historically in medicines including traditional kampô 漢方 preparations. The inscriptions on the present lantern therefore strongly suggest that it originally belonged to this establishment.
Period: Japan – Meiji period (1868–1912).
Dimensions: Height 76.8 cm, Width 44 cm, 42.5 cm
In good antique condition with traces of wear consistent with age and use. The copper has developed an attractive dark patina with areas of verdigris. One of the small frosted glass panels beneath the roof is missing, and there are minor dents, surface wear and age-related distortions to the metalwork. The filial re-attached. Please refer to the photographs for a clear impression of the condition.
When shipped, a certificate of authenticity will be included.
