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<p><b> An exceptional Japanese gold lacquer over wood, four-case inro, decorated with both flat and raised gold, silver, brown and red lacquer, dating to the late Edo - early Meiji periods. </b> The front of the inro has a lobster, pine tree and fruits. The reverse shows a flowering plant in a pot. <p>The design shows this was intended for use during the New Year’s celebration. The lobster is intended to bring long life, because its name in Chinese ideograph means "aged of the sea." The fruit is probably dried persimmon or bitter orange, both used at New Year’s. The pine branch represents the <i>kado-matsu</i>, a decoration traditionally placed outside the Japanese home only at the New Year as a hope for vigor and longlife. the flowering plant is most likely apricot, which blooms bravely in the season in spite of snow on the ground. <p>The interior of the inro and the risers are completed in sprinkled, nashiki lacquer. The inro is closed with an orange lacquer over wood ojime and a lacquer over wood netsuke of a seated man preparing food. Both items are of the same period as the inro. There is some loss to the gold lacquer along the edges and to the gold leave on the designs. The pieces are unsigned. |
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