9 - JOKASAI: A FINE FIVE-CASE GLASS-INLAID LACQUER ‘DAYFLOWERS IN MOONLIGHT’ INRO

JOKASAI: A FINE FIVE-CASE GLASS-INLAID LACQUER ‘DAYFLOWERS IN MOONLIGHT’ INRO Lineage of Yamada Jokasai, signed Jokasai 常嘉斎 Japan, 18 th-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Of upright rectangular form and oval section, bearing a lustrous roiro ground enlivened with scattered gold flakes, exquisitely decorated in gold and silver takamaki-e and hiramaki-e with sprays of flowering dayflowers (tsuyukusa). The delicate blue blossoms are unusually inlaid in turquoise-blue glass, while the slender stems and lanceolate leaves are richly worked in contrasting tones of gold and silver and further embellished with kirigane, all illuminated by the soft glow of a crescent moon. The cool translucence of the glass is particularly effective in capturing the characteristic blue of the tsuyukusa blossoms against the deep-black lacquer ground. The interior cases are finished in nashiji with gold fundame rims. Signed to the underside in gold hiramaki-e JOKASAI. With a beautifully matching turquoise-blue porcelain globular ojime. HEIGHT 8.9 cm, LENGTH 4.7 cm Condition: Excellent condition with only very light rubbing to edges. The signature Jokasai was used by successive generations of the Yamada family of lacquer artists, whose workshop flourished for more than two centuries. The first Yamada Jokasai worked in Edo in the late 17th century and is traditionally associated with the Kajikawa school; later generations continued to produce inro and other lacquerwares of consistently high quality. The signature occurs in numerous variants. For further reference, see Edward A. Wrangham and Joe Earle (eds.), The Index of Inro Artists (1995), p. 98. Of particular note are the rare glass inlays used for the blossoms. Their cool, luminous blue is especially well suited to tsuyukusa, a flower celebrated in Japan for its intense yet fleeting color, and creates a striking contrast with the moonlit roiro ground and warm gold lacquer. Auction comparison: Compare a related two-case inlaid lacquer inro depicting fruiting plants, lineage of Yamada Jokasai, signed Jokasai, 7.8 cm long, at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 8 November 2024, Vienna, lot 26 (sold for EUR 5,200).