Page 97 - Fine Japanese Art November 29, 2019 Galerie Zacke

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

In honor of Ogawa Haritsu (1663-1747), signed Ritsuo and
sealed Kan
Japan, dated 1772 or 1832, Edo period (1615-1868)
Published: Jahss, Inro and other miniature art forms of Japanese
lacquer Arts, pl. 204.
Eskenazi Ltd, Japanese inro from private collections, no. 27.
Sydney L. Moss, Ltd, They are all fire and every one doth shine,
London: Sydney L. Moss, 2010, no. 5.
Exhibited: Pacific Asia Museum, Japanese lacquer from Southern
California collections, illustrated on page 27.

A two-case lacquer inro with a with a formalized lobed square Condition: Superb condition with extremely minor surface wear.
reserve framed by a silver lacquer ground with a gold lacquer Provenance: Sotheby’s London, 12 April 1965, lot 131. Dr and Mrs
border. The inside of the reserve showing a fine red-brown ground Melvin Jahss, New York. Victor Topper, Toronto. Thence Collection
imitating faded roiro below spectacular inlays showing Chinese Drs. Edmund und Julie Lewis, New York.
Buddhist-derived designs of an archaistic incense burner inlaid
in ceramic with a lacquer imitation metalwork open cover, with a In the publication ‘They are all fire and every one doth shine’ by
red-lacquered nyoi scepter resting behind it. The reverse shows six Sydney L. Moss there is a detailed description of why this seemingly
large silver takamaki-e archaic Chinese characters dating it to the genuine and superior example by Ritsuo is categorized as a ‘Ritsuo
Kyoho period and with a cyclical date of 1712, 1772 or 1832, etc. revival’ piece (making it no less important). The synopsis is that the
The last two characters show the signature RITSUO and pinkish artist of this inro, no doubt a very talented craftsman, has purposely
ceramic seal KAN. The inside with fine, dense nashiji. left a clue in the cyclical date of 1712 as it cannot correspond to the
Kyoho period (1716-1735). It is likely that the artist made this inro in
With a fine guri-lacquer ojime and a lacquer netsuke showing a 1772 or 1832, after Ogawa Haritsu had died and in fact dated the
hossu (Buddhist fly whisk). The lacquer netsuke bears an illegible inro correctly, but left the discrepancy in the Kyoho period date as
seal. a clue to show that this in fact a revival piece for the important and
influential master Ogawa Haritsu.
HEIGHT 6.5 cm, LENGTH netsuke 6 cm
Estimate EUR 3.000,-
Starting price EUR 1.500,-

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