School of Ogawa Haritsu Ogawa Haritsu (Ritsuo, 1663-1747), signed Uchukanshi Ritsuo saku with seal Kan
Japan, 18^th-19^th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Of rounded rectangular form with a flat overhanging cover, the suzuribako bearing a fine kinji ground. The exterior is decorated in iro-e takazogan and hirazogan, as well as inlays of aogai, mitsuda, tortoiseshell, and glazed ceramic, to depict Sugawara no Michizane riding his ox through a meadow of flowers. The interior of the cover decorated with a gnarled plum tree, referencing Sugawara no Michizane’s legendary poem composed at the age of ten, bearing several flowers and buds, growing from a rocky landscape which is lightly sprinkled with gold, the silhouette of an imposing full moon to the background. Housed within the interior are the original implements with their sleeves: a ceramic waterdropper (suiteki) in the form of a moon rabbit, two brushes (fude) decorated to the body with plum blossoms, the paper-cutting knife (kogatana) similarly decorated with blossoms to the body, a fitted rectangular inkstone (suzuri), and a cushion with a silk case. Signed to the interior UCHUKANSHI RITSUO saku with seal Kan.

SIZE 3.5 x 24 x 21 cm

Condition: Very good condition with expected wear and scratches. Minor flaking and cracks to the lacquer and tiny losses to the inlays. Overall presenting excellently.
Provenance: From an old Austrian private collection.

Ogawa Haritsu (Ritsuo, 1663-1747) specialized in the combination of unusual materials such as pottery, bone, lacquer, shell and wood. His sophisticated taste and modern approach appealed to literati circles in the eighteenth century, and he served as both artist and artistic adviser to the Daimyo Tsugaru Nobuhisa. He had many followers and pupils, and his original style has been adapted throughout the centuries. The combination of Ritsuo school features along with Rinpa school features, particularly evident in the mitsuda plum décor is very unusual.

Rinpa is a modern term that refers to a distinctive style of Japanese pictorial and applied arts that arose in the early seventeenth century and has continued through modern times. Literally meaning ‘school of Korin,’ Rinpa derives its name from Ogata Korin (1658–1716), a celebrated painter from Kyoto. It embraces art marked by a bold, graphic abbreviation of natural motifs, frequent reference to traditional court literature and poetry, the lavish use of expensive mineral and metallic pigments, incorporation of calligraphy into painting compositions, and innovative experimentation with new brush techniques. Transmitted by means of pattern books and manuals, the work of the Ogata Korin inspired numerous other craftsmen.

Literature comparison:
A related black lacquer four-case inro depicting a typical Rimpa-style motif of Toba on his mule, attributed to a follower of Ritsuo, dated to the 18^th century, is illustrated in Moss, Sydney L. (1982) Eccentrics in Netsuke, pp. 32-33, no. 21.

Auction comparison:
Compare a closely related Rimpa style lacquer writing box (suzuribako) with a gnarled plum tree bearing flowers, at Christie’s, Crafted Landscapes: The Ankarcrona Collection of Japanese Lacquer and Asian Works of Art, 1 October 2020, New York, lot 9 (sold for USD 23,750).