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68

Kakosai Shozan, Shibayama Gold Lacquer Four Case Inro, Meiji

Currency:EUR Category:Collectibles Start Price:2,400.00 EUR Estimated At:4,000.00 - 5,000.00 EUR
Kakosai Shozan, Shibayama Gold Lacquer Four Case Inro, Meiji
Shibayama lacquer
Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912)
This item can only be delivered to an address within the EU
Kakosai Shozan – Japanese lacquer master of the early 19th century
Underside (chi) with signature ‘Kakosai’, red jar seal and mother of pearl inlaid signature
Elaborately worked in relief
Seven mon of the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan, one with an extremely fine inscription
Dimensions: 9 x 5 x 1.7 cm
Very good condition
Provenance: from a German private collection
An extraordinary inro inlaid with the finest materials depicting the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan
This four case inro by the Japanese lacquer master Kakosai Shozan is elaborately decorated with shibayama inlays of mother of pearl, horn, ivory and coral, with nashiji interior. Both sides show mon with the Seven Lucky Gods – Hotei, Jurojin, Fukurokuju, Bishamonten, Benzaiten, Daikokuten and Ebisu. They are each depicted with their respective attributes. One shows an extremely fine inscription. The underside (chi) bears a signature in gold, a red jar seal and a mother of pearl inlaid signature. The ivory omije is also meticulously carved with the faces of the deities and bears a signature in red.



The inro is in very good condition with minor signs of wear. The color is a little rubbed here and there. It measures 9 cm in height, 5 cm in width and 1.7 cm in depth.



Inro

An inro is a Japanese seal or medicine case, which belongs to the so-called sagemono (containers hanging from the obi). An inro is usually composed of a stack of tiny, nested compartments that can be sealed and held together by a cord. It can be made of wood, horn, ivory or ceramic. Originally the containers were used to store messages. Later they carried coins, personal seals or medicine. Inros were mainly used by men since their gowns often had no sleeve pockets. The little containers were therefore suspended from the belt (obi) and secured to a netsuke.



Shibayama

Shibayama is an inlaying technique from the 18th and 19th centuries, named after a Japanese artist family. The technique uses natural materials like mother-of-pearl, turquoise, coral, horn inlayed in wood or ivory. This type of artistry was at the peak of its popularity in the 19th century. Objects of all sorts – from cases to jewelry boxes and swords – were decorated using this technique. Meiji-period artworks are particularly in demand with collectors.
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