A JAPANESE LACQUER INRO WITH ONI

A JAPANESE THREE-CASE LACQUER INRŌ
MEIJI ERA, 19TH CENTURY

With a continuous design depicting two oni, one hiding amongst rockwork whilst the other climbs onto a large pine tree, looking at a sword lying in a stream below; one of the demons rendered in silver inlaid on the black roiro ground, with details rendered in gold lacquer kirikane, iroe hiramaki-e and takamaki-e; the base inscribed enreitan (life elixir pill) and signed Makie Shigetsugu, Mon Masayuki / Shozui (Lacquer by Shigetsugu, metal inlays by Hamano Masayuki / Hamano Shuzui), 6.8cm.

Provenance: by repute, acquired in Asia c.1880 by Lieutenant Colonel Francis G Howard, and thence by descent.