THE JAPANESE COLLECTION

Tortoise Inro

Three Case Wood Inro Style of Hidari Issan.

L13

A three case inro, style of Hidari Issan, of carved wood in the form of a tortoise, its pierced claws forming runners for the suspension cord, eyes inlaid in umoregi (lignite:jet).

Signed: but not known, (on an inlaid ivory plaque).
Provenance: G. Moss
Published: Item 291 (inro) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.
Dimensions: 8cm long x 5.4cm wide

Hidari (left handed) Issan worked in Aizu, in Iwashiro province and is chiefly known as a maker of netsuke.

Ojime: Carved wood in the form of two frogs.

Manju: A rare stag-antler manju decorated with insects.  (NL13)
Japan, 19th century
Signed: Koku (Ozaki Kokusai), Asakusa