λ A COLLECTION OF FOUR JAPANESE LACQUER INROS

λ A COLLECTION OF FOUR JAPANESE LACQUER INROS
EDO/MEIJI, 18TH/19TH CENTURY

Variously decorated with birds, flowers and insects, two with agate ojime; one a five-case inro with a flowering prunus tree, the blossoms depicted in pink and white enamels; another a four-case inro with fireflies rendered in lacquer and with large mother of pearl eyes, horn and other inlays; the third with many gold sparrows perched on snow-covered branches and in flight amidst falling snow, the snowflakes cleverly rendered in silver hiramaki-e lacquer on the black roiro ground, a label inside reading 'Reynolds, 26/11/87, C.E.'; attached to a wood netsuke carved as a monkey stroking a giant peach, its eyes inlaid in metal, signed Issai; the last a smaller three-case inro decorated with further birds, with coral and turquoise inlays; 9.3cm. (4)

Provenance: from the collection of William Cleverley Alexander (1840-1916), and thence by descent.

*This item is offered for sale in accordance with the Ivory Act 2018 and has been assigned an exemption certificate, Ref. No. Z2F9QGVN