Kajikawa

Late Edo period, 18/19th century

1615-1868

Inro

Three-case inro using an eight-sided shaped case. A rich roiro ground with gold and red takamakie and kirigane details. A Shishi is leaping through the air beside some peonies.

The inro’s illustration of a shishi (lion) jumping around peonies almost certainly refers to the noh play Shakkyo (Stone Bridge). The monk Jakushō is traveling around Asia visiting places associated with the Buddha. On his travels, he comes across a stone bridge where a boy appears. The boy explains to Jakushō that the land over the bridge is the Pure Land belonging to Monju (Manjusri Bodhisattva) and that crossing the bridge will be hard for him. The last words from the boy are that if he stays, he will see a miracle then the boy vanishes.

From the other side of the bridge, Jakushō sees a shishi (lion), a messenger of Manjusri Bodhisattva. The shishi starts to jump through beautiful, fragrant peony flowers and after dancing returns to carrying Manjusri Bodhisattva.

Signed Kajikawa family and red seal

66mm x 71mm

Ojime

A stained ivory bead to simulate red coral.

Carlo Monzino

Anonymous

Edo Period 19th century

1615-1868

Inro

A one section inro on a roiro and nashiji ground worked in hiramakie lacquer. The inro depicts an ox and an old woman. It would appear the ox has caught the old woman's obi (belt) or shawl causing her kimono to become loose and reveal her naked body.

This inro was previously owned by Carlo Monzino an Italian businessman and art dealer. Well known for a collection of African art during the 1980s. Carlo Monzino is also well known for having his image immortalized by the famous pop artist Andy Warhol.

Unsigned

60mm x 57mm

Ojime

Gilt and silver bead.

Signed unknown artist

Anonymous

Meiji period, 19th century

1868-1912

Inro

Four-case inro on a roiro and nashiji ground. Huts under pine trees in takamakie, hiramakie, and details in Kirigane. In the Meiji period inro were very rarely worn by the Japanese and the west was buying large quantities of Japanese art, Inro being one of the greatly collected items. Because of the great demand for lacquer goods in the west, the quality of items began to drop as the supply struggled to keep up with the demand. This is a typical example of the Meiji period inro.

Unsigned

77mm x 49mm

Ojime

Gilt metal bead with carved flowers.

Anonymous

Edo Period 19th century

1615-1868

Inro

A four case inro on a roiro ground with kimpun. decorated in gold, silver and polychrome togidashi makie. Interior in nashiji and fundame.

What at first look like Three beautiful women viewing blossom trees at the coast become two women and a child when both sides are put together. The designs of inro were prepared at first on paper and then overlayed on to the inro body to be traced out. Once you see both the front and back together you realise it is a young girl and two adults. The young girl is making eye contact with one of the women on her left. Waves are rolling in the distance while the emphasis on the wind is made by the petals falling and the cloaks of the two women ripple.

Viewing blossom was and has always been a tradition of the Japanese. It is possible that the roiro (black) ground is to represent viewing blossom at night time. There is a well-known print by the artist Utagawa Kunisada of three women viewing blossom at night with water in the distance. Blossom viewing is known commonly as hanami, viewing at night is known as yozakura.

Unsigned

80mm x 53mm

Ojime

Lacquered metal bead.

Anonymous

Late Edo period, 18/19th century

1615-1868

Inro

Five-case 19th century inro using an old long-form shaped case. A rich roiro ground with different shades of gold takamakie with kirigane and aogai details. Long trailing bean plant with insect eaten foliage.

Unsigned

Attributed to Tatsike Kokosai.

120mm x 40mm

Ojime

Jade bead.

Chart from Inro and other miniature forms of japanese lacquer art.

Koryu(sai)

Edo period, 18/19th century

1758-1868

Inro

Four-case inro of lenticular form, bearing a kinji ground, lacquered and inlaid with a scene from a Noh play, showing an actor wearing a court robe and eboshi seated before a posturing actor in shishiguchi role. Gold and red takamakie with silver inlaid faces, nashiji interior with kinji edges.

The artist assigned to this work is most probably Koma Koryu of the well known Koma school. Koma Koryu is dated to the late 18th to early 19th century (precise dates unknown), which is the right period for this inro. Other inro with the same artist’s signature are known and also are attributed to the Koma school. Three very similar examples can be found in the Trumpf collection with the same Noh play subject (no, 177), one in Floral Medallions design in the Brozman collection (no, 29), and an almost identical one in the Wrangham collection, (no.610).

Signed Koryu(sai)

84mm x 41mm

Ojime

Shibuichi bead of a shojo dancer.

Anonymous

Late Edo period, 18/19th century

1615-1868

Inro

Five-case inro in beautifully lacquered shibo urushi maki-e and gold hiramakie flowers with kirikane highlights. Shibo urushi is a technique to simulate tree bark. Red lacquer is applied over black to simulate shibo that has been ground flush.

Unsigned

97mm x 50mm

Ojime

Bronze bead with silver overlay depicting paulownia tree flower.

 

Anonymous

Edo Period 19th century

1615-1868

Inro

Large four section wide oval shape inro, black roiro ground with mura-nashiji depicting two women carrying buckets of seawater for making salt under a pine tree wearing beautiful traditional kimono with the ocean behind them. Gold and coloured togidashi makie and e-nashiji, matt gold lacquer interior.

print of Matsukaze and Murasame by Torii Kiyonaga 1783-1784. British Museum 1945,1101,0.13

The imagery on the inro is a direct copy of the Japanese print by Torii Kiyonaga carrying their salt pans by the ocean.

The women depicted on the inro come from the highly regarded noh play Matsukaze (Wind in the Pine), the two main characters are sisters Matsukaze and Murasame as lingering spirits who once lived on the Bay of Suma in Settsu Province. While the two sisters lived on the bay a courtier, Middle Counsellor Ariwara no Yukihira spent three years with them while on exile. The sisters became fond of Ariwara during that time until his departure, word came of his death shortly after leading to the sister’s untimely death from grief.

It was believed in the Buddhist faith that emotional attachment to mortal desires would lead to the spirit of the dead becoming attached to the mortal realm. The spirits or ghosts of these unfortunate souls would linger on and haunt the living.  

88mm x 60mm

Unsigned

Ojime

Red coral bead.