Ɏ A FINE FOUR-CASE TOGIDASHI LACQUER INRO, ATTRIBUTED TO SHIOMI MASANARI

Ɏ A FINE FOUR-CASE TOGIDASHI LACQUER INRO, ATTRIBUTED TO SHIOMI MASANARI Attributed to Shiomi Masanari (1647-1722), unsigned Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Of upright form and lenticular profile, the inro bearing a lightly sprinkled roiro ground decorated in splendid togidashi-e, featuring a continuous scene of a ferry-boat laden with numerous passengers, including a priest, vendors, a mother and child, and travellers, being poled along in calm water, under the full moon that emerges from misty clouds.

The interior cases of nashiji with gold fundame rims. The inro suspending a bone ojime and an ivory netsuke carved as a fukura suzume (puffed-up sparrow) with dark horn inlaid pupils, signed underneath GENKO in an oval reserve. With a storage box, inscribed Kin makie noriaisen inro, netsuke Genko saku zoge bori fukura-suzume, ojime shiro-sango [A gold lacquer maki-e inro decorated with a passenger boat, netsuke in ivory carving in a shape of a plump sparrow made by Genko, ojime in white coral].