Page 97 - Bonhams Japanese Art and Antiqes sept 2015_Float

3182 3182
A SMALL FOUR-CASE LACQUER INRO
By the Somada school, Edo period 3183
(19th century)
Bearing a roiro-nuri ground, inlaid in aogai FINE JAPANESE WORKS OF ART | 95
with gold hiramaki-e, e-nashiji, kirigane,
haritsuke kanagai (gold and silver foil) and
decorated with Jurojin, god of longevity,
accompanied by his crane, his attendant to
the reverse, both standing beneath flowering
prunus amid bands of mist, the runner
channels with silver hiramaki-e scrolling
tendrils over aogai nashiji, the base and
interiors nashiji; fitted with a rectangular
Somada ojime with a gold and aogai checker-
pattern within silver hiramaki-e borders and a
netsuke of rounded square shape lacquered
in similar Somada style with hagi (bush clover)
and kikyo (Chinese bell flower)
2 3/8in (6cm) high
$1,500 - 2,500

3183
A FOUR-CASE LACQUER INRO
By Shokasai, Edo period (19th century)
Decorated in gold, silver and iro-e hiramaki-e,
takamaki-e, togidashi maki-e and e-nashiji
with two Japanese courtiers seated in a
flowering landscape along the banks of the
winding stream, the opposite side with an
attendant floating cups of wine down the
winding stream, the interiors nashiji with
fundame edges, signed Shokasai
3 1/4in (8.3cm) high
$2,000 - 4,000

The kyokusuino utage (meadering stream
party) featured on this inro was inspired by a
famous fourth-century gathering of Chinese
scholar-poets at the Rantei (Orchid Pavilion).
Arranged by the celebrated calligrapher Ogishi
(in Chinese, Wang Xizhi) to celebrate the annual
Spring Purification Festival, this poetry contest
involved attendants floating cups of wine down
a meandering rivulet as the guests sat along its
banks; whenever a cup stopped, the person
closest to the cup was required to drink from it
and compose a poem.