Weiner Mihályné szerk.: Az Iparművészeti Múzeum Évkönyvei 11. (Budapest, 1968)

HOPP FERENC MÚZEUM — MUSÉE FERENC HOPP - Ferenczy, László: Japanese Inrö in the Hopp Museum

Fig. 3. a-b 3. Inrö in the form of a barrel. Three cases. (Fig. 3. a —b). Inside nashiji. External channels. The black ground is thinly covered with gold powder. Gold taka- and hiramakie, kirigane and silver takazogan. A silver dragon in high relief amongst clouds, waves and rocks, in the style of the Kano school. The rocks and clouds are rich in okibirame. 6.8X6 cm. Early 18

th century. An inrö of excellent quality, also an example of early Chinese style inrö. The dragon in clouds was a favourite motif on inrö of the 18

th century, also on pieces made by Kajikawa masters. An earlier, 17

th

? century version of this motif appears on an inrö of the Museum of East Asiatic Arts at Cologne. This has either metal cord runners, or the runners imitate metal tubes.

22 An inrö with the similar representation of a dragon in clouds is signed by Kizö and was dated tentatively to the 17

th century in the catalogue of the Tomkinson collection. Another inrö in the same collection, with a dragon in relief on a canvas ground, with silver cord runners was probably rightly dated to the 17

th century.

23 In any case, these inrö with the representations of dragons in relief are of much importance to the study of early inrö-types. 4. Inrö of four cases. (Fig. 4). Inside nashiji. Gold hira- and takamakie. Decorated with a dragon amongst clouds in silver takamakie. On the surfaces of rocks and clouds okibirame. 6.5X5.7 cm. End of 18

th century or early 19

th century. This piece is published here as a later example of the above motif, but of much inferior quality. 5. Inrö of four cases. (Fig. 5). The black ground turns into nashiji below. External channels. Inside fine-grained nashiji. Waterside with bamboo and cranes. On the sides of the birds okibirame, on their wings and on some bamboo leaves aogai inlay and gold foil. On the cover and bottom also nashiji. 8X5.7 cm. First half of the 19

th century. 22 Feddersen, M.: Japanisches Kunstgewerbe. Braunschweig, 1960. p. 206, Abb. 185. 23 Tomkinson, M,: A Japanese collection. No. 103 and plate facing p. 26; No. 893, p. 48.