JAPAN, first half of the 19th century - Lot 278

Lot n° 278
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Estimation :
500 - 800 EUR
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Result : 1 100EUR
JAPAN, first half of the 19th century - Lot 278
JAPAN, first half of the 19th century Inrô with four squares decorated with cranes among pines in nashiji and taka-makie lacquer on a roiro background, mother-of-pearl inlays, two cranes are inlaid with shakudo and shibuichi. Signed Kanzan saku Egawa and Mototoshi (the latter on a metal shelf). Blue stone ojime and ivory netsuke representing a folded leaf with a fly and a spider on it, unsigned, 19th century. L. of the inrô 7,3 cm AS Missing a crane The chiseller who made part of the decoration of this inro, named Mototoshi (Haynes 05954.0), was active during the first half of the 19th century and was a pupil of Nanjo Motonaga as well as the first Motozane. He was a member of the Mito school, Hitachi province. Edward Wrangham points out that he made sets for inrô by Kakosai, Koshosai and Koma Sozan (cf. Wrangham, 1995, p.188). The Kanzan signature of the inro we present here is rare. Because of his collaboration with Mototoshi, this lacquerer would probably be placed in the entourage of Sozan and the Koma school. Melvin and Betty Jahss mention a lacquerer of this name whom they link to the production of Ipposai and the many artists associated with him (cf. Jahss, 1971, p. 411). Finally, the mention of Egawa raises questions because it refers to the family of chiselers of the same name, also from Mito, whose most famous member was Toshimasa (Haynes 10412.0) who also worked on inrô (cf. Wrangham, 1995, pp.306-307). Although also from Mito, Mototoshi is related by Haynes to the Morita family. Cranes and pine trees were both symbols of longevity in ancient Japan.
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