A FOUR-CASE INRO WITH FUJISAN AND ARIWARA NO NARIHIRA... Lot n° 178

Lacquer, gold, metal and mother-of-pearl inro Japan, Edo 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Published: Illustrated in ‘The Art collection formed by the late Heber R. Bishop’, Thomas E. Kirby, New York, 1906 – catalogue number 1465 A four-case inro with fine lacquer work and much gold, showing the Japanese courtier and waka poet Ariwara no Narihira riding into exile and passing by Mount Fuji, which he gazes at with wonder. He is reining in his horse, wearing a courtly eboshi on his head; his servant is pictured on the other side. These figures are made from shakudo, the red-crowned cranes (tancho tsuru) flying by are inlaid with silvery mother-of-pearl. Mount Fuji is very powerful, with pines and water in the foreground, abundant gold kirikane. The interior of the cases with gold nashiji. Two signatures on the underside, the gold signature SHOKASAI is from the lacquer master, whose main productive period was between around 1830 and 1860. The signature on metal is from Gyokuryuken NOBUKATSU, a metal artist who lived in Edo. Shibuichi ojime. HEIGHT 8.8 CM Condition: Excellent condition with very minor expected wear to lacquer Provenance: From the important collection of Heber R. Bishop Auction comparison: For a similar inro by Shokasai with metal inlay see Bonhams, Japanese works of Art, New York, 19 September 2008, lot 5049. For an inro with metal inlay by Nobukatsu and lacquer by the Kajikawa workshop see Christie’s, Japanese and Korean Art, New York, 22 September 2005, lot 396. A very similar inro with lacquerwork by Kakosai Shozan and metalwork by Nobukatsu was sold at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, London, 16 May 2013, lot 192.