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

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

nique: hexagonal patterns in aogai inlay, circlets painted in red, gold and black, chessboard pattern in black and gold. In the centre of both sides, in a large circle an ornamental disc in high relief in gold and in bronze-coloured alloy with the animals of the zodiac. On the lid and bottom of the inro interlocked circles in aogai inlay with star-pattern in gold kirigane. 6.8X6.2 cm. Signature: Kajikawa and red Kajikawa seal in the form of a vase. Mid 19th century. This is a technically rather minute but somewhat overdecorated work of a late Kajikawa lacquerer. The Behrens collection contained a similarly decorated inrô with various inlay and dragons in shakudő bronze in a circular field. The lacquerwork itself was signed by a late Hasegawa master, the metalwork by Goto Mitsumori.

8 46. Inrô of one case in the form of a kinchaku (Fig. 46). The surface of the upper part and the back imitates leather. In the centre of the pouch-knob a silver rosette. On the lower side of the inrô wave-like semicircular pattern with stylized flowers painted in red, gold and silver. 5.3X5.4 cm. This is a late example of inrô imitating a pouch. An inrô of similar form in the Behrens collection has a RitsuÖ signature and seal.

11 47. Inro of two cases; internal channels (Fig. 47). Inside unpainted wood. Tiny red and aogai particles in sabi-ji ground imitating a rusty surface. On both sides maple branches with momiji. The leaves are in red lacquer, the stems in gold makie work. The decoration goes around the inrô and extends to the top of it. 5X5.2 cm. Signature: Hőitsu fude. Early 19th century. This is an inrô of unusual technique and colour scheme decorated after a painting of Hőitsu. The combination of colours is modest, harmonic and the distribution of the decoration is excellent. Sakai Hőitsu played an important role in the revival of the Kőrin style. The Tomkinson collection had an inro with the signature of Yőyusai, decorated also after Hőitsu with plum branches in togidashi technique.

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" 48. Flat, circular inro of two cases, imitating the form of a Chinese bronze mirror (Fig. 48 a

—b). Internal channels. Inside dark nashiji; the rims are gold-painted. On one side and round on the edge of the inrô sabi-ji ground imitating rusty surface. The twisted body of the four-clawed dragon is in high relief, made in the same technique. The teeth are in gold. The braided cord led through the knob of the mirror is in red lacquer and it extends with its tassel to the back. The other side of the inrô is decorated in an entirely different technique: the figure of a tiger is engraved in the smooth silver-grey shibuichi-ji ground. 6.7X6.5 cm. On the bottom of the inrô gold signature in two lines: Kanshősai Tőyő. (There is no „tsukuru", nor kakihan.) The inrő was presented to the museum by Dr. Ottó Fettick; earlier it belonged to the Delmár collection. The decorative motifs of the inrő — the dragon and tiger — are traditional motifs of Chinese origin, symbolizing the emperor and his ministers, in a figurative sense the yangyin elements. But the artistic accomplishment of the inrő is rather individual and interesting. The figure of the dragon is powerful and the red cord is of excellent effect in the sabi-ji and shibuichi-ji grounds. The lacquer works, mostly inrő, of the Töyő school were collected and studied intensively by B. von Ragué some years ago". As she mentions, there are but 11 pieces without kahihan among the 351 Tőyő lacquer works listed by her. In her opinion these are of mediocre quality and were made presumably by other lacquerers; the signature on them meant "in the manner of" (im Sinne von) Tőyö.

1Our inrő widely differs from the usual inrő both in form and in technique. According to 131