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.

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.