Beschreibung:

Katalognummer: NE0920-280 TOBE KOFU: A SUPERB GOLD-INLAID FOUR-CASE LACQUER INRO WITH THE JUNISHI By Tobe Kofu (1888-1965), signed Kofu 公風 saku 作 Japan, 20th century Published: Sagemonoya (2004) Sleeping Beauties, p. 45, no. 35. The inro in the shape of a pouch tied with a gold rope in takamaki-e, each of the twelve zodiac animals, known as the junishi, shown against its own circular reserve. The bottom half of the ground is rendered in a dense gold gyobu and the top, leafy tendrils are rendered in fine gold hiramaki-e. The boar and the snake, which are opposing animals in the zodiac, are beautifully inlaid in gold, the other animals are executed in fine takamaki-e of various colors, these include: a recumbent goat, a tiger shown as a wooden wheeled child’s toy, a pair of dogs depicted as inubariko, a performing monkey, a cockerel, a dragon amongst swirling clouds, rats feeding on rice, two rabbits playing, an ox under a shelter and a horse tied to a tree. The interior compartments of dense nashiji and gold fundame. Signed underneath on the gyobu ground KOFU saku (made by). HEIGHT 9.3 cm Condition: Superb condition. Provenance: Purchased from Sagemonoya, Tokyo, in 2004. Auction comparison: Compare to two inros with gold inlay by the artist, both sold by Bonhams. One in Fine Japanese Art including two masterpieces by Kitaoji Rosanjin (1883-1959), 7 November 2013, London, lot 126 (sold for 5.000 GBP), and the other in Fine Japanese Works of Art from the Edward Wrangham Collection (Online only), 9 July 2018, London, lot 133 (sold for 5.000 GBP).   Schätzpreis 估價: € 4.000 Startpreis 起拍價: € 2.000 -