A Five-Case Lacquer Inro

EDO PERIOD (LATE 18TH CENTURY), SIGNED TOYO AND WITH KAO

Details

A Five-Case Lacquer Inro
Edo Period (late 18th century), signed Toyo and with kao
Rounded-rectangular inro designed with a sleeping lute player (biwa hoshi) rendered in silver and gold takamaki-e and gold, silver, red and black hiramaki-e, the lute body mokume lacquer, the reverse decorated with a book, plectrum and standing lantern, the shade of the lantern decorated with diamond patterns raised in relief in silver lacquer, all against a roiro-nuri ground, interiors nashiji; fitted with an amber bead ojime
3¼in. (8.3cm.) long

Lot Essay

Izuka Toyosai was employed by Hachisuka Shigeyoshi (1738-1801), daimyo of Awa province in present-day Shikoku. Toyosai was awarded samurai status but not before gaining notoriety for allegedly refusing to lacquer the lord's wooden sandles (geta).

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