λ A JAPANESE BLACK AND GOLD LACQUER FIVE CASE INRO

λ A JAPANESE BLACK AND GOLD LACQUER FIVE CASE INRO

MEIJI PERIOD, 19TH CENTURY

Decorated with an elegant design of feathers rendered in gold, silver and red lacquer takamaki-e on a black roiro ground, each side depicting a large peacock feather and smaller ones from other bird species, inscribed with two characters for Zeshin after Shibata Zeshin (1807-91) in gold lacquer to the base, together with an ivory netsuke of the cut-tongue sparrow, the suzume with eyes inlaid in dark horn, 8.5cm and 4.8cm. (2)

Provenance: formerly from a Swiss private collection.