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unsigned inro
18th/19th century
autumnal flowers
height 3 1/2 in., 9 cm
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the four case inro bearing a black lacquer ground decorated with gold and colored togidashi lacquer autumnal flowers with details highlighted with sprinkled gold hirame, gold and colored kirikane; nashiji risers; unsigned
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This inro is decorated with the aki no nanakusa (Seven Grasses of Autumn), as established in the Manyoshu, an 8th century collection of poetry. The initial seven includes flowers and grasses: hagi (bush clover); susuki or obana (pampas grass), kuzu (arrowroot), nadeshiko (wild carnation), ominaeshi, fujibakama and kikyo or asagao (bell flower). Later the kiku (chrysanthemum) was imported from China and added to the grouping. The use of the aki n o nanakusa as a decorative motif began in the Heian Period (794-1185), and became increasingly popular in the Momoyama (1568-1603) and Edo periods (1603-1868).
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$2,500
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