Lot 543 Dα

A three-case inro. 19th century

Inscribed on the bottom in glossy roiro: Zeshin
With separate cord runners. Iroe-takabori with inlays of mother-of-pearl, tortoise shell and soft bone on a matt, dark brown ground. An elephant with a richly decorated golden saddlecloth with dense geometric patterns reaching down the sides almost to the feet. Decorative rings of aogai mother-of-pearl around the forehead and feet. Roiro with kinji edges to the inside. The deviation in the signature (Wrangham Index, p. 346) suggests that this work is by a student.
Height 6.3 cm