Page 254 - Fine Japanese Art Auction November 2 2019 Galerie Zacke

317 | A VERY FINE SHIBAYAMA AND
LACQUER FOUR-CASE INRO
DEPICTING URASHIMA TARO

Unsigned
Japan, late 19th century, Meiji period (1868-1912)

A finely inlaid four-case lacquer inro on a gold lacquered ground,
with inlays of ivory, mother of pearl, coral, stained horn and
tortoiseshell. Urashima Taro, depicted as an old man, is shown
kneeling and looking at the opened box from which a turtle
emerges. A crane descends above him. The reverse decorated with
a leafy blossoming peony branch, one budding flower inlaid in coral,
below three flying butterflies. The inside with dense nashiji.
HEIGHT 8 cm, WIDTH 6.2 cm
Condition: Some surfaces scratches, miniscule loss to the inlay of
the mat underneath the box. Good condition.
Provenance: British private collection.
According to legend Urashima Taro saves a little minogame
(straw-raincoat turtle) from an ill fate, which subsequently turned
out to be the daughter of the dragon king. The next day a giant
turtle appeared and brought Urashima to the underwater palace
of the dragon king Ryujin. Urashima stayed there for a few days
and received a box and was told not to open it. When he returned,
everyone he knew was gone and everything had changed, so in his
bewilderment he opened the box and suddenly turned into an old
man. He then heard a whisper from the sea telling him he was told
not to open the box, in it was his old age…
Estimate EUR 3.000,-
Starting price EUR 1.500,-

316 | SHIBAYAMA AND KAJIKAWA: A FINE A superbly inlaid gold lacquer inro depicting a caparisoned elephant
SHIBAYAMA INLAID GOLD LACQUER FOUR- on one side, and parading boys dressed in Korean garments on
CASE INRO WITH CAPARISONED ELEPHANT the other side. The inro shows a festival scene – a reenactment of
a procession of the Korean embassy through Japan to Edo (now
By Kajikawa (lacquer) and Shibayama (inlay), signed Shibayama and Tokyo). The boys are lacquered in red, gold and silver takamaki-e
Kajikawa with red pot seal with finely inlaid ivory faces, holding various instruments and a
Japan, late 19th century, Meiji period (1868-1912) banner, all set underneath pine trees and clouds. The elephant
on the other side, next to the pine tree, is inlaid in ivory and has a
fierce expression. His saddle is inlaid with stained ivory, lacquer,
bronze, horn, tortoise shell and mother of pearl. The inside with
dense nashiji. The underside with the signature KAJIKAWA 䫼ਊ with
red pot seal, and further signature SHIBAYAMA ැͪ on an inlaid
mother of pearl tablet.
With an ivory shibayama ojime inlaid with mother of pearl, horn
and coral and a square ivory manju netsuke showing various
geometrical patterns in shishiabori (sunken relief).
Inro HEIGHT 8.6 cm, manju netsuke HEIGHT 4.2 cm, ojime HEIGHT
1.5 cm
Condition: Minor wear to the edges of the inro, some wear to the
fundame ground, one tiny inlay to the saddle cloth has been lost –
generally, in very good condition.
Provenance: British private collection.
Estimate EUR 2.000,-
Starting price EUR 1.000,-

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