Japan 1810 Kajikawa Edo Period Five Drawer Inro In Lacquered Gilt Wood With Roosters
Japanese Inro from the Edo period (1615-1868) created by Kajikawa.
Beautiful Inro, created in Japan by one of the Kajikawa family during the Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1810. Has been carefully crafted in carved precious wood with applications of gilding maki-e and decorated with Japonism patterns. All dan trays are attached together with a himo cord. The detailed craftsmanship was a true pleasure to behold.
Period: Edo period (1615-1868). Shogunate.
Approximate Date: 1790-1810
Motif: A family of birds consisting of a cockerel, the hen and three chicks.
Drawers: Five.
Shape: Rectangular navette.
Technique: Carved wood, lacquer and decorated in iroe-hiramaki-e on a gold ground.
Ojime: 15mm 20mm, oval carved from natural translucent agate.
Netsuke: None
Weight: 47.70 Grams.
Measurements: Inro is 78 mm by 55 mm by 18 mm (3.07 x 2.17 x 0.71 Inches).
Signatures: Kajikawa Saku, in the underside with the signature KAJIKAWA. By a member of the Kajikawa family, signed Kajikawa 梶川 Japan, late 18th century to early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868).
The Kajikawa family
Kajikawa family, flourished in the 19th century, they was Japanese lacquerware artists whose school in Edo (now Tokyo) flourished for more than 200 years. This family is perhaps the most famous of all the dynasties of Japanese lacquer artists, and certainly the name most often found on inro. The family is said to have been founded by Hikobei at Edo in the early 17th century, although some claim that the family’s great reputation really stemmed from his son and pupil Kyujiro. In any event, Hikobei worked for the shogunate, as did his successors until well into the 19th century. Kijirō excelled in designing particularly delicate lacquer inrō, portable medicine cases composed of a nest of tiny boxes tightly fitted into one another and secured with a silk cord. Because so much artistic skill went into decorating the outside of the inrō, they were worn on the obi (a broad sash) by men of the upper classes and were prized as collector’s items. Kajikawa artists also designed lacquer netsuke-toggles carved in the shapes of animals, human figures, and plants, used to attach medicine boxes and tobacco and money pouches to men’s sashes. Objects exemplifying the exquisite craftsmanship of the Kajikawa artists are in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and in the Charles A. Greenfield Collection, New York City. The Soken Kisho describes Kyujiro as ‘the best inro maker of the past or present’. See Earle, Joe [ed.] (1995) The Index of Inro Artists, p. 107.
The Edo Period
The Edo period or Tokugawa period is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional daimyo. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characterized by economic growth, strict social order, isolationist foreign policies, a stable population, perpetual peace, and popular enjoyment of arts and culture. The period derives its name from Edo (now Tokyo), where on March 24, 1603, the shogunate was officially established by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The period came to an end with the Meiji Restoration and the Boshin War, which restored imperial rule to Japan. The Tokugawa (or Edo) period brought 250 years of stability to Japan. The political system evolved into what historians call bakuhan, a combination of the terms bakufu and han (domains) to describe the government and society of the period.[3] In the bakuhan, the shōgun had national authority and the daimyo had regional authority. This represented a new unity in the feudal structure, which featured an increasingly large bureaucracy to administer the mixture of centralized and decentralized authorities. The Tokugawa became more powerful during their first century of rule: land redistribution gave them nearly seven million koku, control of the most important cities, and a land assessment system reaping great revenues.
Inro
Is a traditional Japanese case for holding small objects, suspended from the obi (sash) worn around the waist when wearing a kimono. They are often highly decorated with various materials such as lacquer and various techniques such as maki-e, and are more decorative than other Japanese lacquerware. Because traditional Japanese dress lacked pockets, objects were often carried by hanging them from the obi in containers known as sagemono (a hanging object attached to a sash). Most sagemono were created for specialized contents, such as tobacco, pipes, writing brush and ink, but the type known as inro is suitable for carrying small things, and was created in the Sengoku period (1467–1615) as a portable identity seal and medicine container for travel. In the middle of the Edo period (1603–1868), inro became popular as men's accessories, and wealthy merchants of the chōnin and samurai classes collected inro often beautifully decorated with lacquer. As the technique developed from the late Edo period to the Meiji period (1868–1912) and the artistic value of inro increased, inro were no longer used as an accessory and came to be regarded as an art object for collection.
Ojime: An ojime (緒締め), lit. is a bead cord fastener used in Japanese inrō (carrying cases). It is typically under an inch in length. Each is carved into a particular shape and image, similar to the netsuke, though smaller.
Netsuke: A netsuke (根付, [netsɯ̥ke]) is a miniature sculpture, originating in 17th century in Japan. Initially a simply carved button fastener on the cords of an inrō box, netsuke later developed into ornately sculpted objects of craftsmanship.
Collateral: This piece is accompanied by a presentation pouch.
Condition: The overall condition of this Inro is excellent. Beside the little normal wear, there is no damage to any part. All part are original and secured. This piece has been carefully inspected to guarantee the condition and authenticity.
INVENTORY REF: D070523MTNE/.1111
