Inro, Netsuke, Ojime - Gold, Ivory, Lacquer - Kogyokusai - Japan - Edo Period (1600-1868)

A five-case gold lacquer Inro of the Edo period, decoration in gold hira and takamaki-e. Nashiji lacquer inside. Closed with an ivory ojime. On the top, manju ivory netusuke signed Kogyokusai (光玉齋) , carver manju artist active from the end of the 18th to the mid-19th century (George Lazarnick's Netsuke & Inro Artists, page No #639) . This Inro represents landscapes of chrysanthemums (‘Kiku’, imperial emblem of Japan) , rocks and a stream. This rare Inro, a transition between the Edo and the Meiji period, collects the most popular chrysanthemums in the Edo period (hiro-mono, kuda-mono, ozu-kami) , and the higo-giku, which would become more popular in the Meiji period. The manju is at the same time an ema, a lucky amulet depicting a horse and a lady. Measurements: 95 x 48 mm (Inro) and 42 x 46 mm (Manju) . Early 19th century. Japan, Edo period (1603–1868) .