A black and gold lacquer four-case inro

Edo period (1615-1868), mid-19th century

Edo period (1615-1868), mid-19th century
The roiro ground embellished with mura-nashiji, finely lacquered in gold and slightly coloured togidashi maki-e and e-nashiji with a continuous scene of two girls, each carrying buckets of water beneath an overhanging pine branch by a fast-flowing river, the interior of matt gold lacquer, unsigned; with a lacquered-metal netsuke of a butterfly with wings spread, the front of iron, and inlaid with details in typical Komai style of flat gold inlay and the reverse of Negoro-style lacquer, unsigned; with a red glass ojime. 8.8cm (3½in) high.

Provenance:
Harriet Szechenyi Collection.
Purchased from these rooms, 8 November 2011, lot 349.

The design is taken from a woodblock print by Torii Kiyonaga (1752-1815), from the series Fuzoku Azuma no Nishiki (Beauties of the East as reflected in fashions), illustrating a scene from the Noh play Matsukaze, showing the two sisters Matsukaze and Murasame carrying pails of water on the sea shore.