48. INRO. Peony. Signed: Toshi. The single flower is executed in moderate relief in black takamakie on a gold oki-hirame ground. 21/8" x 13/4" x 5/8". 3 cases and lid.
49. INRO. Rooster and chicks. Signed: Shibayama yasumasa. The design is done in colorful raised mother-of-pearl, coral, and gold inlays on a natural ground of sugi (cryptomeria) wood. 37/8" x 23/8" x 1". 3 cases and lid.
50. INRO. Daruma. Signed: Zeshin. The design represents a sumie painting and is executed in red and black togidashi against a gold background. The overall ground is a reddish brown. This unusually constructed inro has a long lid completely enclosing 3 cases. 25/8" x 113/16" x 1".
51. DETAIL of hirame nashiji ground used on inside of a lacquer box by Ritsuo.
52. INRO. Dappled horse at a stream surrounded by the Seven Grasses of Autumn. Signed: Toyo. The design is executed in gold, silver, and red hiramakie with fine silver and gold kirigane and inlaid mother-of-pearl on a gold fundame ground. 37/8" x 21/8" x 13/16". 4 cases and lid.
53. DETAIL of inro in Fig. 52, showing kirigane technique used for the design of the flowers surrounding the horse and for part of the saddle. (See Fig. 106 for another detail.)
54. INRO. Clouds and water. Signed: Koma Yasutada. The design is mainly in togidashi on a black ground sprinkled with fine gold powdering (yasuriko). The clouds are in chiriji. 35/8" x 23/8" x 3/4". 4 cases and lid.
55. DETAIL of inro in Fig. 54, illustrating chiriji. Note also the surrounding yasuriko ground.
56. INRO. Gama Sennin and toad. Signed: Nagaharu (Joi). The gourd-shaped metallic insert of Gama Sennin and the toad was made by the famous Nara metal expert Joi in shibu-ichi. The ground is gold kirigane. 23/8" x 21/2" x 1". 3 cases and lid.
57. DETAIL of inro in Fig. 56, showing kirigane technique.
58. INRO. Butterflies against chrysanthemum background. Signed: Toyo (with kakihan). The butterflies are done in encrusted mother-of-pearl, gold, shakudo, and tortoise shell. The ground is gold fundame with a design of stylized gold chrysanthemums in hira-makie. 31/8" x 23/4" x 7/8". 4 cases and lid.
59. INRO. Chinese nobleman on donkey with attendant. Signed: Zeshin. The design is done in low black takamakie on a dull black ground. Note the simulated chips on the edges of the inro and the fine hairline simulated cracks in the ground. 21/2" x 2" x 3/4". 1 case and lid.
60. OLD CHINESE INK CAKE. Mountain landscape. Crenated shape. Detailed, slightly raised design which is usually made by being pressed rather than carved. 29/16" x 21/16" x 1/2".
61. TSUBA.. Unsigned. Guri-bori metal technique revealing typical geometric pattern. 23/4" x 25/8" x 3/16".
62. BOWL. Hidehira ware. Unsigned. Floral design in red and gold on a black ground. The lacquer on the inside of the bowl is roughened from use of the bowl to contain hot food. Widest diameter: 51/8"; height: 31/2".
63. DETAIL of Kamakura-bori technique, showing geometric design with red surface layer and underlying black lacquer coat where it is worn down. Ashikaga period.
64. INRO (tobacco-box shape). Fox. Signed: Ze-shin. The entire design is in incised lacquer on a roiro ground. 25/8" x 23/8" x 11/8". 1 case and lid.
65. INRO. Jurojin, child, and deer. Signed: Shibayama and Kanshosai (lacquer artist). Jurojin and the child are done in metal encrustations of silver, gold, copper, shakudo, and shibuichi. The deer are inlaid mother-of-pearl. The landscape is in gold takamakie and kirigane on a gold ground. 4" x 21/16" x 13/8". 5 cases and lid.
66. INRO. Yamabushi. Signed: Ishiguro Masatsune, with lacquer work by Koma Kyuhaku. The yamabushi is done in encrusted raised metals: shakudo, gold, silver, and copper. The lacquer is gold takamakie on a gold ground. 3" x 23/8" x 11/8". 4 cases and lid.
3
Chemical and Physical Properties
Oriental lacquer is not in the Western sense a varnish. A varnish is mainly a gum dissolved in a volatile liquid, such as turpentine, which evaporates, leaving a shiny glaze. Oriental lacquer (except Indian lac, which is the gummy deposit of the insect Coccus lacca) comes from the thick sap of a tree called the urushi (Rhus vernicifera), a species of sumac, which when