17 - † KOMA KANSAI: A SUPERB FOUR-CASE INLAID GOLD LACQUER ‘DOVE AMID FLOWERING PLUM’ INRO

† KOMA KANSAI: A SUPERB FOUR-CASE INLAID GOLD LACQUER ‘DOVE AMID FLOWERING PLUM’ INRO Lineage of Koma Kansai, signed Kansai 寛哉 saku 作 with kakihan Japan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Of upright rectangular form with oval section, bearing a luminous kinji ground, finely decorated in gold, silver, and iro-e takamaki-e and hiramaki-e, and enriched with mother-of-pearl inlays. The five cases are decorated with a continuous composition depicting a dove perched upon a flowering plum branch, its plumage finely rendered in colored lacquer and mother-of-pearl inlays, while delicate blossoms and buds emerge from the twisting branches, further embellished with minute gold kirigane flakes. The interior cases are finished in nashiji with gold fundame rims. The underside signed in gold lacquer KANSAI saku [made by Kansai] with a red kakihan. With a coral ojime. HEIGHT 8.5 cm, LENGTH 6.2 cm Condition: Excellent condition, with only minor wear and traces of handling and use. The Koma family was one of the most distinguished lineages of Japanese lacquer artists. Founded in Edo in the seventeenth century by Koma Kyui I (d. 1663), who is recorded as having produced lacquer objects for the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, the family maintained a prestigious workshop serving the Tokugawa elite throughout the Edo period. The present signature belongs to the Koma Kansai lineage, established by Koma Kansai I (1735-1808), a highly accomplished lacquer artist celebrated for his refined gold lacquer and elegant pictorial compositions. His legacy was continued by his adopted son Koma Kansai II (1767-1835), one of the most renowned masters of the family, who excelled in a wide range of lacquer techniques and frequently collaborated with leading metalworkers. Kansai II was also the teacher of Shibata Zeshin (1807-1891), the greatest lacquer artist of the late Edo and Meiji periods. The present inro exemplifies the refined workmanship, technical virtuosity, and sophisticated naturalism associated with this important lacquer tradition. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related four-case inlaid gold lacquer inro of near-identical design, signed Jokasai saku, 8.7 cm high, at Koller, Asiatica: Japan, India, Southeast Asia, Islamic Art, 29 November 2022, Zurich, lot 445 (sold for CHF 5,000 or approx. EUR 5,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). 13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.