A small lacquer four-case inro and lacquer hako-netsuke
Both by Shibata Zeshin (1807-1891), Meiji Period
Lacquered in gold takamaki-e and inlaid in pewter and mother-of-pearl with three flat-bottomed work boats laden with shiba (firewood) floating on formalised waves, signed with scratched characters Zeshin sha; the hako-netsuke decorated in gold, grey and red takamaki-e and tetsusabi-nuri with a single sprig of kaji (paper mulberry) on the top corner of the cover and an itomaki (silk winder) and a poem slip on the sides of the box, the interior of matt gold, signed with scratched characters Zeshin; with two tomobako, one consisting of an ikkanbari (lacquered-paper) box titled Shibafune inro (boats laden with firewood), the inside of the lid signed Honami zo, Koetsu zo sha, Zeshin (Zeshin copied the one made by Koetsu, owned by the Honami family) with seal Koma and a wood box titled Koetsu saku Zeshin o mo, ikkanbaribako-zoe, Shibafune maki-e inro (Maki-e inro with shibafune design, copied by the venerable Zeshin after one by Koetsu, accompanied by a lacquered-paper box), the inside of the lid signed Kakan'an Chikushin kan (examined by Kakan'an Chikushin) with seal Koma; together with an outer lacquered-wood storage box. The inro 6.1cm (2 3/8in) high. (4).