SHIBATA ZESHIN 柴田是真 (1807–1891) ALBUM OF MINIATURE URUSHI-E (LACQUER PAINTINGS) 漆絵画帳Meiji era (1868–1912), circa 1885–1886An album of eleven small urushi-e paintings with a calligraphic title page, bound in orihon (concertina) style, the blank pages covered in gold-painted paper, the cover of silk brocade woven with geometric and floral designs and bearing a blank gold-paper title slip, the title page and paintings as follows:[9.1] Title page inscribed with a single black urushi-e character Ga 雅 (Elegance) and signed Yowai hachijū Tairyūkyo Zeshin 齢八十　對柳居是真 (Tairyūkyo Zeshin, in his eightieth year)[9.2] The trunk and branch of an ancient pine tree by a river, with bamboo grass in the foreground; signed Zeshin 是真 and sealed Shin 真[9.3] A turtle climbing into a sakazuki (sake cup) inscribed Kotobuki (Long life); signed Zeshin 是真 and sealed Shin 真[9.4] A branch of plum and a bowl with bamboo chopsticks and tororo (grated yam), perhaps with fish and seaweed, served as a New-Year dish; signed Zeshin 是真 and sealed Shin 真[9.5] Butterflies and spring plants—warabi (fern), tanpopo (dandelion), bamboo, and bamboo grass—by a stream; signed Zeshin 是真 and sealed Shin 真[9.6] Pine trees with a swallow flying overhead; signed Gyōnen nanajūkyū-ō Zeshin 行年七十九翁是真 (Zeshin, aged 79) and sealed Shin 真[9.7] Five clam shells; signed and sealed Zeshin 是真[9.8] Pumpkin, daikon, and two aubergines; signed Zeshin 是真 and sealed Ze 是[9.9] A mountainous pine-clad shore with fishing boats, gulls, and a shiofuki (whale's spout) in the foreground; signed Zeshin 是真 and sealed Ze 是[9.10] A snake and reeds; signed Zeshin 是真 and sealed Shin 真[9.11] A sailing boat by a rock with the branch of a tree; signed Zeshin 是真 and sealed Ze 是[9.12] A gardener's bamboo basket with fruits of hōzuki (Chinese lantern plant, Physalis alkekengi); signed Zeshin 是真 with an unidentified sealOverall: 1.7cm × 3.7cm × 6.9cm (⅝in × 1½in × 2¾in)Each painting: 6.4cm × 5.2cm (2½in × 2in)With fitted wood tomobako inscribed outside Tairyūkyo Zeshin hitsu urushi-e chō 對柳居是真筆　漆画帖 (Album of lacquer paintings brushed by Tairyūkyo Zeshin); signed inside Chikushin shiki 竹真識 (Recorded by Chikushin), with an unidentified seal; also with silk brocade chitsu (outer wrapper) (3)注脚For a similar single-character inscription by Zeshin, in an album dating from 1882–1883, compare Nezu Bijutsukan (Nezu Museum) 2012, cat. no. 111.8 (also Izzard 2007, cat. no. 44.1).Shōji Chikushin (1854–1936), whose gō or art name was Kakan'an, was a leading pupil of Zeshin who often signed boxes authenticating his work.