166 - ° Four-compartment inrō decorated with three karako musicians and an elephant in armor, Japan, Meiji period, late 19th century

° Four-compartment inrō decorated with three karako musicians and an elephant in armor, Japan, Meiji period, late 19th century Made of lacquered wood with a kimpun background, featuring four compartments, decorated in takamaki-e and gold hiramaki-e, with inlays of mother-of-pearl, ivory, dyed ivory, tortoiseshell, and coral using the Shibayama-zōgan technique. One side is adorned with three karako dressed in richly decorated costumes: the figure on the right holds a large banner surmounted by a dragon, the one in the middle plays a horn, and the third, dancing in the foreground, beats a small drum with a stick. The clothing, hairstyles, and accessories are embellished with floral and geometric motifs executed in maki-e, and the figures’ faces and hands are inlaid with ivory. The other side features a white elephant depicted in profile, fully adorned with a rich, polychrome caparison. The animal carries on its back a blanket adorned with various motifs, topped by a flower-shaped element, while rows of multicolored beads and pendants hang on either side of the harness. The elephant is primarily carved from ivory, with elements of dyed ivory, mother-of-pearl, tortoiseshell, coral, and lacquer. It is signed in a vertical mother-of-pearl cartouche as “Shibayama saku” – 芝山作, accompanied by another signature in gold lacquer: “Saitō saku” – 斎藤作. It is accompanied by an anabori-style ivory netsuke, shaped like a cube with rounded edges, featuring a base engraved with floral motifs and each face openworked with a design of pagodas and pavilions amidst pine trees. 9 x 5.5 cm; netsuke height: 2.5 cm; gross weight: 56 g Some wear and very minor chips.