A silver five-case inro with foreigners
37Y
A silver lacquer five-case inro
By Hara Yoyusai, early 19th century
Bearing a rogin-nuri ground and lacquered in gold and iroe-takamakie with three Portuguese traders, one side with one figure holding the leash of his sleek greyhound, another two Portuguese shown on the reverse, one holding a sword and a staff with a feather attached at the tip, whilst his companion points to something in the distance, with subtle details inlaid in e-nashiji and kirikane, the interior of rich nashiji, signed Yoyusai saku; with gilt ojime in the form of Ashinaga and an eighteenth-century ivory netsuke in the form of a Dutchman gripping a flute, unsigned. 9cm (3½in) high.
Sold for £46,850 inc. premium

Footnotes

  • 葡萄牙商人図蒔絵印籠　銘「羊遊斎作」　19世紀前期

    Provenance: purchased at Sotheby's, London in 1951.

    Illustrated in Oriental Art, A Quarterly Publication Devoted To The Study Of All Forms Of Oriental Art, Spring 1957, vol.III, no.1, p.15, and discussed by Henry P. Stevens in his article Inro Decorated with European Figures, ibid., p.14.

    It is interesting to compare this inro with that of lot 40 as they both illustrate the two successive phases of foreign influence, the Portuguese and the Dutch. The artist exaggerates the height of the foreigners and emphasises the balloon-like bagginess of their bombacha pantaloons, but also focuses on distinctive features such as heavy gold necklaces, red facial hair, hats, capes and ruffled collars, which are reminiscent of the details found on painted Namban screens.

Category: Asian Art / Japanese Art

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Suzannah Yip Bonhams
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Specialist - Japanese Art