Beschreibung:

Lot details By Tatsuke Toshihide, signed Toshihide 寿秀 and sealed Tokei 東渓; after a painting by Hatta Koshu (1760-1822), signed Koshu 古秀 and sealed Koshu 古秀 Japan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Of upright, rectangular form and oval section, the dark-brown lacquered ground finely decorated in splendid black and gold togidashi-e with mura-nashiji to depict a black crane flying over waves and reeds, the interior lacquered dark-brown with gold fundame edges. The front of the inro signed KOSHU with a red seal KOSHU, the underside signed TOSHIHIDE with a red seal TOKEI. HEIGHT 7 cm Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear. Provenance: Spink & Son Ltd, London, 1990. A private collector in Australia, acquired from the above. Toshihide (1757-1833), together with his younger brother Toshihide II (1771-?), belonged to the branch of the Tatsuke family originated by Eisuke in Kyoto. The Toshihide brothers were both fine lacquerers and notable inro decorators, also lacquering boxes and netsuke. It is not always easy to distinguish between their work, but Toshihide I worked mainly in takamaki-e and only occasionally in togidashi-e. However, although the seal Tokei may have been used by both brothers, it is more associated with Toshihide I. Nonetheless, Toshihide II worked almost invariably in togidashi-e and his inro of birds in this technique are equal to the work of Moei and other distinguished exponents. See Earle, Joe [ed.] (1995) The Index of Inro Artists, p. 305. Hatta Koshu (1760-1822) was a painter and print artist of the Maruyama-Shijo School, studying with Murakami Toshu and Maruyama Okyo. Auction comparison: For a related inro by Toshihide, worked in splendid togidashi-e and depicting a bird amongst flowers, see Bonhams, The Edward Wrangham Collection of Japanese Art Part III, 15 May 2012, London, lot 227 (sold for 16,250 GBP).