LONDON.- A rare and important early 20th century cosmetic box by Asahi Gyokuzan was one of the highlights of the Fine Japanese Art sale that took place on the 12th May at Bonhams, New Bond Street. Asahi Gyokuzan was a designated Imperial Court Artist and one of the most famous and influential carvers in Japan during the Meiji Period (1868-1912). The cosmetic box, which realised £192,000, was made of white paulownia wood and represented the hallmark of the finest Japanese art: the depiction of the transience of nature. Asahi Gyokuzan deliberately used the medium of a box, since it could be opened and closed, and in doing so created a series of stories and movement: the stages of the