A FOUR CASE LACQUER INRO OF SAGES PLAYING MUSICLacquer inro. Japan, late 18th to first half of 19th centuryA four case inro showing several bearded sages on a terrace veiled in clouds, chatting and playing music. They are wearing Chinese garments, the musical instruments played are the sho ‘mouth organ’ and koto zither. All depictions in brilliant black roironuri with incised details. The base or background as well as the interior have a reddish color. Cloud spirals on the top and bottom. Spherical ojime made from orange glass, kagamibuta netsuke in wood setting with black lacquer, two hehe engraved on the ‘mirror cover’. Hehe are two immortal ‘lucky boys‘, their names (He and He) can be translated as ‘immortals of harmony and union’, for that reason they are known as gods of marriage. Signed KA-SHIN