Edo/Meiji period, circa 1850-1880
Kawarinuri finish with glass ojime and zitan netsuke
10.5 x 12 x 4.5 cm
Carved in the shape of a gathered soft tobacco pouch, tabako-ire, this elegant, wooden tonkotsu is lacquered in imitation of the suede leather finish that its form initially suggests. It opens to reveal a black and red lacquered interior. Closed with a glass ojime the whole sagemono ensemble hangs from a natural netsuke of dense rosewood, zitan. Zitan is arguably the most prized of East Asian hardwoods. Its use here in a modest, unassuming way, epitomises the essential Japanese aesthetic of iki - a sophisticated simplicity - that nevertheless alludes to the treasure contained within the case.