A gold-lacquer three-case inro and matching manju netsuke


By Uemura Enshu (born 1955) after a woodblock design by Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806), Showa (1926-1989) or Heisei (1989-2019) era, late 20th/early 21st centuryDecorated in gold and polychrome togidashi maki-e depicting on both sides the front and back portrait of Naniwaya Okita, a famous tea-house girl, from an untitled series of double-sided hosoban prints by Kitagawa Utamaro, published by Harimaya Shinichi, circa 1790-91, inscribed Naniwaya Okita Utamaro ga, the interior of rich nashiji; the lacquer en-suite manju netsuke showing the head and shoulders of Naniwaya Okita from the print Toji sanbijin (Three Beauties of the Present Day), published by Tsutaya Juzaburo, circa 1793. The inro: 7.7cm (3in) high; the manju netsuke: 3.7cm (1 3/8in) diameter.