A fine large black lacquer four-case inro. By Jitokusai Keigai, 18th century. photo Bonhams

Of wide form, the roiro ground with scattered clouds of hirame and mura-nashiji, decorated with a large mallard, its head turned back and nestling between its folded wings, in coloured pottery and lacquer, the reverse with the full moon in rogin lacquer, seen beyond reeds in gold and
coloured takamakie, some leaves inlaid with pottery and raden, the interior of nashiji and the top case divided into two compartments, signed in seal form on an inlaid pottery tablet Kei; with a large gilt-metal ojime inlaid with butterflies and peonies in silver and shakudo takazogan, signed Ichiraku; with wood storage box. 9.5cm (3¾in) wide. Estimate: £10,000 - 15,000, JPY 1,200,000 - 1,800,000, US$ 16,000 - 23,000

満月に鴨図陶片貼付螺鈿蒔絵印籠　銘「渓」　18世紀

Provenance: G. H. Hodgson collection, sold at Glendining & Co., London, 27th February 1918.
Lt. Col. J. B. Gaskell collection (according to a note from Mrs T. S. Hall pasted within the top case).
Mrs T. S. Hall collection, sold at Glendining & Co., London, 4th April 1946.

There are two inro by this maker in the Musée Guimet, Paris, one of which is almost identical to the present example. The other is of wood, decorated with quail among millet and bears, apart from the pottery seal, the maker's signature in full.

The duck, as depicted on the present example, also appears on an inro attributed to Mochizuki Hanzan, formerly in the Charles A. Greenfield collection, illustrated in The Charles A. Greenfield Collection of Japanese Lacquer, Eskenazi Ltd., London, 1990, no.70.

Bonhams. The Harriet Szechenyi Sale of Japanese Art, London, New Bond Street, 8 Nov 2011 www.bonhams.com