A Five Case Gold Lacquer Inro

SIGNED KAJIKAWA SAKU, EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Details

A Five Case Gold Lacquer Inro
Signed Kajikawa Saku, early 19th Century
With three horses to the front and two to the reverse, frisking in a plantation of pine saplings, the horses decorated in gold, brown, silver and shibuichi takamakie on a kinji ground, the short grass in hiramakie on a kimpun over black ground, enriched with kirikane, gyobu interior, fundame rims; and an oval four case inro decorated in hiramakie, takamakie, togidashi, e-nashiji and kirikane with silver and red details, with three courtiers, decorated in shakudo, gold and silver, playing the Chinese game of kiokusui no yen beside a stream down which a series of cups are floating, accompanied by a young attendant, nashiji interiors, fundame rims
3 9/16in. (9cm.) 3 7/16in. (8.7cm.) high respectively (2)

Lot Essay

The game of kiokusui no yen was an annual event at the Chinese imperial court and was held on the third day of the third month. Cups were floated down a winding stream, while the players composed poems. Those who were able to complete poems before the cups had passed by, could take a cup from the water. Those who had failed could only take one if it had stopped beside them.

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