Description:
A RARE RITSUO SCHOOL INRO
Japan, Edo period, 18th – early 19th century. The three-part inro with a surface imitating timber with sprinkles of gold lacquer. With high relief takamaki-e and inlays of clay, shells and pottery in form of sea grass and various shells, a large awabi abalone and a sea urchin.
LENGTH 10 cm
WEIGHT 51.7 grams
Provenance: Austrian private collection.
Condition: Outstanding condition with only minor wear and slight warping.
Ogawa Haritsu or Ritsuo (1663-1747) achieved fame for his innovative use of materials in lacquer and for developing a new esthetic in Japanese decorative arts. His characteristic lacquer artworks utilizing inlays (including pottery, colored stone, shell, and wood) and simulating other materials (such as metal and stone) was so distinctive, that his style became known as Haritsu maki-e (Haritsu-style lacquer) during his own era. This esthetic was then carried forward by prominent artists such as Yoyusai and Zeshin in the 19th century.