A JAPANESE SHIBAYAMA IVORY BOX AND COVER MEIJI 1868-1912 The lid decorated with a beauty carrying...

A JAPANESE SHIBAYAMA IVORY BOX AND COVER

MEIJI 1868-1912

The lid decorated with a beauty carrying a water bucket and gazing at morning glories growing over trellis, the petals inlaid with mother of pearl, coral and stained ivory, the underside with a small stream, grasses, butterflies and dragonflies, signed Chikahiro in a mother of pearl oval reserve, 7.9cm. (2)

The figure depicted is probably Fukuda Chiyo-ni (1703-1775), a famous poetess celebrated for her haiku and the poem entitled 'The Morning Glory'. The poem is inscribed on the water bucket here and reads: 'morning glory

the well bucket-entangled, I ask for water'. This scene is probably inspired by Utagawa Kuniyoshi's woodblock print of the poetess, who upon finding a bucket entangled in the vines of the flower, prefers to go asking for water rather that disturb the plant.