12 - A FINE THREE-CASE TOGIDASHI LACQUER ‘MOON HARE POUNDING MOCHI’ INRO, AFTER A DESIGN BY HANABUSA ITCHO

A FINE THREE-CASE TOGIDASHI LACQUER ‘MOON HARE POUNDING MOCHI’ INRO, AFTER A DESIGN BY HANABUSA ITCHO Unsigned Japan, 18 th-19 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Of upright rectangular form with lenticular section and rounded edges, bearing a rare dark green ground, finely decorated in gold and iro-e togidashi maki-e. One side depicts a standing lunar hare pounding glutinous rice in a mortar to make mochi, after a design by the celebrated painter Hanabusa Itcho (1652-1724), whose signature is incorporated beside the figure. The reverse is decorated with two gold auspicious characters 長生 (chōsei, “long life”), accompanied by a five-character Chinese-style inscription rendered in black lacquer: 曾因搖蘭而長生, which may be translated as “Through the swaying orchids, long life was attained.” The interior cases are finished in nashiji with gold fundame rims. With a small green glass ojime. HEIGHT 6.9 cm, LENGTH 5.2 cm Provenance: From the private collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, New York, United States. Alan Hartman (1930-2023) was an influential American art dealer, who took over his parents’ antique business in Manhattan and established the legendary Rare Art Gallery on Madison Avenue, with further locations in Dallas and Palm Beach. His wife Simone (née Horowitz) already served as assistant manager of the New York gallery before the couple were married in 1975, and together they built a renowned collection for over half a century and became noted art patrons, enriching the collections of important museums including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which opened the Alan and Simone Hartman Galleries in 2013, as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Brooklyn Museum in New York. Notably, they assembled an impressive collection of Japanese art, focusing on fine netsuke, inro, and lacquer. Condition: Excellent condition, with only minor wear and tiny nibbling to case edges. The moon hare (tsuki no usagi), also known as the jade hare, is one of the most enduring lunar motifs in East Asian art. Derived from the Chinese legend of the rabbit who prepares the elixir of immortality on the moon, the subject was reinterpreted in Japan as a hare pounding glutinous rice to make mochi. The motif was further enriched by a celebrated wordplay between 望月 (mochizuki, “full moon”) and 餅搗き (mochitsuki, “mochi pounding”), making the lunar hare an especially popular subject in Japanese painting and decorative arts. Hanabusa Itcho (1652-1724) ranks among the most original painters of the Edo period. Trained in the Kanō tradition before establishing his own distinctive manner, he became renowned for his lively brushwork, imaginative compositions, and humorous yet highly observant depictions of animals and everyday subjects. His designs circulated widely and inspired generations of craftsmen working across different media. The present inro demonstrates the enduring appeal of Itcho’s imagery, faithfully translating his expressive portrayal of the moon hare into the refined vocabulary of togidashi lacquer.