A THREE-CASE INRO

SIGNED KOMA KYUHAKU (EDO), EDO PERIOD (LATE 18TH/EARLY 19TH CENTURY)

Details

A THREE-CASE INRO
Signed Koma Kyuhaku (Edo), Edo Period (Late 18th/Early 19th Century)
With black lacquer ground almost entirely covered in decoration of red, gold and silver hiramaki-e and takamaki-e with gold foil mosaic; compartments and risers nashiji and Gyobu-nashiji; rims gold lacquer; underside signed in gold hiramaki-e Koma Kyuhaku saku [made by Koma Kyuhaku]; ojime of carved red lacquer and ivory

A profusion of cherry blossom by the entrance gate to a temple, the gate roofed with tiles bearing the mitsudomoe [three-comma] motif, part of a red wood fence in the foreground
3in. (8.3cm.) long

Lot Essay

Edward Wrangham speculates that it was the sixth member of the Koma Kyuhaku line (1816), also known as Kyui II, who made most of the extant inro bearing the Koma Kyuhaku signature1. The very high quality of this piece would certainly support the view that it was decorated by the head of the family.

1 E.A. Wrangham, The Index of Inro Artists (Harehope, Northumberland, 1995), p. 158.

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