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AN EXQUISITE INLAID WOOD THREE-CASE INRO DEPICTING RABBITS AN EXQUISITE INLAID WOOD THREE-CASE INRO DEPICTING RABBITS Unsigned Japan, late 19 th century, Meiji period (1868-1912) The wood ground finely decorated with Shibayama-sytle inlays of mother-of-pearl, coral, malachite, aventurine, wood, gold, and stained bone to depict two hares seated on the ground, one with its head raised toward the sky, no doubt looking up at the moon, both animals well detailed with neatly incised fur, round eyes, and long funnel-shaped ears, the ground further carved to indicate pebbles, the resulting recesses filled with gold dust. HEIGHT 8.5 cm Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, some light scratches to the top case. Provenance: From an old East German private collection, assembled before 1980. Auction comparison: Compare a related gold-lacquer Shibayama-inlaid four-case inro also depicting two rabbits, the inlay by Masayuki, 9 cm high, dated Meiji period, with a wood netsuke in the form of a mushroom and a glass bead ojime, at Bonhams, 11 May 2017, London, lot 90 ( sold for 2,750 GBP).

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AN EXQUISITE INLAID WOOD THREE-CASE INRO DEPICTING RABBITS AN EXQUISITE INLAID WOOD THREE-CASE INRO DEPICTING RABBITS Unsigned Japan, late 19 th century, Meiji period (1868-1912) The wood ground finely decorated with Shibayama-sytle inlays of mother-of-pearl, coral, malachite, aventurine, wood, gold, and stained bone to depict two hares seated on the ground, one with its head raised toward the sky, no doubt looking up at the moon, both animals well detailed with neatly incised fur, round eyes, and long funnel-shaped ears, the ground further carved to indicate pebbles, the resulting recesses filled with gold dust. HEIGHT 8.5 cm Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, some light scratches to the top case. Provenance: From an old East German private collection, assembled before 1980. Auction comparison: Compare a related gold-lacquer Shibayama-inlaid four-case inro also depicting two rabbits, the inlay by Masayuki, 9 cm high, dated Meiji period, with a wood netsuke in the form of a mushroom and a glass bead ojime, at Bonhams, 11 May 2017, London, lot 90 ( sold for 2,750 GBP).

Estimate 1 000 - 2 000 EUR
Starting price 1 000 EUR

* Not including buyer’s premium.
Please read the conditions of sale for more information.

Sale fees: 30 %
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For sale on Tuesday 03 Sep : 11:00 (CEST)
vienna, Austria
Galerie Zacke
+4315320452
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JOKASAI: A SUPERB FOUR-CASE LACQUER INRO DEPICTING SHISHI JOKASAI: A SUPERB FOUR-CASE LACQUER INRO DEPICTING SHISHI Lineage of Yamada Jokasai, signed Jokasai 常嘉齋 Japan, late 18 th to early 19 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) The four-case inro bearing a neatly polished wood ground with a heightened grain, lacquered in thick gold takamaki-e with some silver and gold leaf inlay, depicting a large shishi holding a peony in its mouith, the eyes inlaid in mother-of-pearl. The verso with a further prancing shishi, turning back and snarling at its bushy tail, its visible eye inlaid in bright-blue ceramic. The interior risers are decorated in togidashi-e, hiramaki-e, and nashiji with concentric wave designs and stylized cherry blossoms. The interior cases and rims of gold fundame. Signed underneath in gold characters JOKASAI. With a fruit nut ojime depicting a Chinese landscape and with a beautifully matching plain wood two-part manju netsuke. HEIGHT 7.3 cm, LENGTH 7 cm DIAMETER (the netsuke) 4.2 cm Condition: Minor losses to lacquer, particularly to the gold leaf inlays. The top case with a crack to the side (visible also to the interior). The riser of the bottom case lost with associated repairs. Overall presenting well. Provenance: A noted private collection, acquired at Glendining & Co Auction, assembled by the previous owner’s great-grandfather and thence by descent. With old collection labels to the interior of the top case. The Yamada Jokasai lineage lasted until the end of the Edo period. The first Yamada Jokasai lived in Tokyo in the late 17 th century and worked for the shogunate, originally at the Kajikawa school. He crafted inro and kobako alongside the famous Koami Choho, later breaking off to establish his own school in Tokyo. The ornate decoration to the interior risers, as seen on the present inro, is typical for this school.