Page 221 - Fine Japanese Art March 27, 2020 Galerie Zacke Netsuke and Okimono

250 | RITSUO: A RARE TWO-CASE LACQUER ‘RITSUO
REVIVAL’ INRO WITH BUDDHIST DESIGN

In honor of Ogawa Haritsu (1663-1747), signed Ritsuo and sealed A two-case lacquer inro with a formalized lobed square reserve
Kan framed by a silver lacquer ground with a gold lacquer border.
Japan, dated 1772 or 1832, Edo period (1615-1868) The inside of the reserve showing a fine red-brown ground
imitating faded roiro below spectacular inlays showing Chinese
Published: Buddhist-derived designs of an archaistic incense burner inlaid
Jahss, Melvin and Betty (1971) Inro and Other Miniature Art Forms in ceramic with a lacquer imitation metalwork open cover, with a
of Japanese Lacquer Arts, pl. 204. red-lacquered nyoi scepter resting behind it. The reverse shows
Eskenazi (1982) Japanese Inro from Private Collections, no. 27. six large silver takamaki-e archaic Chinese characters dating it to
Sydney L. Moss, Ltd. (2010) They are all fire and every one doth the Kyoho period and with a cyclical date of 1712, 1772 or 1832, 251 | CHIKUZAN: A RARE LACQUERED
shine, pp. 44-47, no. 5. etc. The last two characters show the signature RITSUO 笠翁 and FOUR-CASE INRO WITH CRICKET
pinkish ceramic seal KAN 観. The inside with fine, dense nashiji.
Exhibited: Pacific Asia Museum, Japanese Lacquer from Southern With a fine guri-lacquer ojime and a lacquer netsuke showing a Signed hachiju hachi-o and sealed chiku and zan
California Collections, illustrated on p. 27. hossu (Buddhist fly whisk). The lacquer netsuke bears an illegible Japan, late 18th to early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)
seal.
HEIGHT 6.5 cm, LENGTH netsuke 6 cm A four-case wood inro decorated on one side with a raised design
of a cricket inlaid in ceramic, amongst autumnal pampas grass
Condition: Superb condition with extremely minor surface wear. lacquered in gold hiramaki-e and takamaki-e. The black ground
Provenance: Sotheby’s London, 12 April 1965, lot 131. Dr and is sprinkled with gold flakes. The reverse showing a half-crescent
Mrs Jahss, New York. Victor Topper, Toronto. Then collection Drs. moon inlaid in pewter and fine gold calligraphy. The inside with
Edmund und Julie Lewis, New York. dense nashiji. The underside signed hachiju hachi-o (“inscribed by
an old man aged eighty-eight”) and sealed CHIKU 竹 and ZAN 山.
In the publication ‘They are all fire and every one doth shine’ by
Sydney L. Moss there is a detailed description of why this seemingly HEIGHT 9.2 cm
genuine and superior example by Ritsuo is categorized as a ‘Ritsuo
revival’ piece (making it no less important). The synopsis is that the Condition: Good age-related condition, with few thin cracks, only
artist of this inro, no doubt a very talented craftsman, has purposely one visible in the inside.
left a clue in the cyclical date of 1712 as it cannot correspond to the Provenance: British private collection.
Kyoho period (1716-1735). It is likely that the artist made this inro in
1772 or 1832, after Ogawa Haritsu had died and in fact dated the A very unusual inro due to the combination of the pewter inlay,
inro correctly, but left the discrepancy in the Kyoho period date as usually seen on early inro, and the quite modernistic ceramic inlay,
a clue to show that this in fact a revival piece for the important and which suggests the school of Ogawa Haritsu (Ritsuo). The artist is
influential master Ogawa Haritsu. not identifiable.
Estimate EUR 2.500,- Estimate EUR 2.500,-
Starting price EUR 1.250,- Starting price EUR 1.250,-

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