Imre Jakabffy (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 1. (Budapest, 1973)

FERENCZY, László: Japanese inro in the Hopp Museum. Part two

LÁSZLÓ FERENCZY JAPANESE INRÖ IN THE HOPP MUSEUM PART T WO * INRÖ WITH POLISHED BLACK (RÖ-IRO-NURI) GROUNDS 26. Flat inrô of square form, with three cases (Fig. 26 a

—b). Internal channels. Inside finegrained orange nashiji. On one side the figure of the dancing Taoist sennin, Chökaro. releasing his magic mule out of his gourd. The figure of Chökaro and his garment are mostly in gold hira- and takamakie, with some red lacquer. The hat and shoes are rendered with black lacquer. On the other side his harnessed mule, with chestnut-coloured (kuriiro-fun) body; the mane and the saddle are in gold hira-and takamakie. The harness shows some red lacquer. 6.7X5.7 cm. This inro with its not too frequent form and decoration is an interesting example of the iconographically Chinese-style inrô from the second half of the 18th century. 27. Flat inrô of rounded form, with four cases. Internal channels (Fig. 27 a

—b). Inside finegrained nashiji; the rims show red lacquering. Landscapes on both sides, done mostly in gold hira- and takamakie on black ground. On one side the gate, fence and buildings of a temple with pines and flowering trees. The gate is in lead inlay; in the rocks and clouds okibirame; fine yasuriko-nashiji. On the other side island with trees and streamlet, two huts, with the fence inlaid in lead next them. The waves of the sea are rendered stylized, with gold painting. The base of the hills in the background also shows inlay in lead bars. The hills and clouds are in silver hiramakie. On the base and lid sparse yasurikonashiji. 6.5X4.7 cm. Mid or late 18th century. This inrô represents the early inrô decorated with landscapes. 28. Flat inrô of four cases. Internal channels (Fig. 28 a

—b). Inside brown-lacquered; the rims are gold-painted. The decorations of the two sides are correlated. On one side a Chinese style one-storied building with the branches of a pine tree. The other side shows a reclining Chinese sage or poet looking up to the branches of the pine-tree. Gold hiraand takamakie and some red lacquer on the rö-iro-nuri ground. On the building and on the garment of the sage okibirame. Gold-painted karakusa design on the side edges. Signature in two lines: Tenji (?) and Hotoku (Yasunori), and kakihan. 6.4X5 cm. This inrô is decorated with a conventional Chinese theme. Technically it is made carefully though not excellently. It may be dated to the late 18th or early 19th century. 29. Inrô of four cases, with interior channels (Fig. 29). Inside orange nashiji. The decoration is mostly in gold hira- and takamakie on rô-iro-nuri ground. The decoration of the two 117