OGAWA HARITSU: THE ‘F. M. JONAS’ COMPLETE SET OF TWELVE INRO WITH MATCHING OJIME AND NETSUKE REPRESENTING THE TWELVE MONTHS

By Ogawa Haritsu (Ritsuo, 1663-1747), sealed to each netsuke Kan 観
Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Published: Jonas, F.M. (1928) Netsuke, pp. 101-108, nos. 164-175, illustrated on pl. XLI - XVLI.

The set comprising twelve inros of various shapes, each with an en-suite ojime, each netsuke sealed KAN (Ogawa Haritsu). Each inro set alludes to a specific month in the calendar year, showcasing a major festival or seasonal tradition, while each manju netsuke and its matching ojime shows the flower(s) blooming in that month. The decorations are executed predominantly in takamaki-e with lacquer-enriched pottery inlays, exemplifying Haritsu’s pioneering mixed-media lacquer (makie-zogan) techniques.

January – Manzai (The New Year) – Fukujuso (Adonis, blooms late January)
The four-case inro with a dense nashiji ground, decorated in takamaki-e with fine pottery inlays, one side depicting two Manzai dancers, the reverse with a mother-of-pearl hobby horse flanked by a pine and with a shimenawa rope above. The netsuke featuring a fukujuso (adonis amurensis) in a flowerpot, which begins to bloom in late January. The ojime of hyotan shape.

February – Hatsu-Uma (Inari Festival) – Ume (Plum)
The five-case inro with a gold fundame ground, decorated in takamaki-e with fine pottery inlays, one side depicting a mountainous landscape with three colored banners inscribed “The supreme deity Inari,” representing the Hatsu-Uma festival, with many torii gates in the background, the reverse with a fox-shaped toy, a figure of Hotei, and bells below misty clouds. The Hatsu-Uma festival is celebrated on the first horse day of the second month. The netsuke decorated with a branch of plum blossoms beneath the silver moon, plum being among the first flowers to bloom in late February. The ojime painted with further plum blossoms.

March – Hina Matsuri (Girl’s Festival) – Sakura (Cherry)
The four-case inro with a brownish-golden ground, decorated in takamaki-e with fine pottery inlays, one side depicting two dolls with pottery faces, representing the Girl’s Festival, the reverse with a sake bottle inscribed “shirozake,” a sake cup, and cherry blossoms. The Girl’s Festival (Hina Matsuri) is celebrated on the 3rd of March. The netsuke decorated with a blossoming cherry branch and a hyotan, cherry blossoms blooming from late March into early April. The ojime painted with branches of further cherry.

April – Hana Matsuri (Buddha’s Birthday) – Fuji (Wisteria)
The four-case inro with a brown lacquered ground and aogai inlays to the risers, decorated in takamaki-e with fine pottery inlays, one side depicting a Buddha figure in a shrine beside a large vessel with a ladle filled with ama-cha (sweet tea), the reverse with a mother and two children carrying a teapot and vessel of ama-cha. The Buddha’s Birthday (Hana Matsuri) is celebrated on the 8th of April. The netsuke decorated with wisteria, which bloom in Japan in mid- to late April. The ojime decorated with further wisteria.

May – Tango no Sekku (Boy’s Festival) – Shobu (Irises)
The four-case inro with mura nashiji ground, decorated in takamaki-e with fine pottery inlays, one side depicting a koinobori (carp-form windsock) tied to a bamboo pole swaying above rooftops, the reverse with a helmet, sword, and bouquet of iris leaves, all for the Boy’s Festival. The Boy’s Festival (Tango no Sekku) is celebrated on the 5th of May. The netsuke decorated with irises, which bloom in Japan in May. The ojime painted with further irises.

June – Aoi Matsuri (Kyoto Processions) – Botan (Peonies)
The two-case inro with a gold fundame ground, decorated in takamaki-e with fine pottery inlays, one side depicting a procession with a man in traditional attire on an ornamented float, the reverse with two musicians, one carrying a large drum, the other a watermelon, scenes referring to the summer festivals around Kyoto shrines. These shrine festivals are typically celebrated in June, with the Aoi Matsuri on the 15th being among the oldest. The netsuke decorated with a peony in a vase, peonies blooming in Japan in May to early June. The ojime further painted with sprays of peonies.

July – Obon (Festival of the Dead) – Kikyo (Bellflowers)
The four-case inro with a dark-brown lacquered ground sprinkled with kinpun, decorated in takamaki-e with fine inlays of pottery and aogai, one side depicting five dancers, the reverse with a bon-chochin lantern suspending tassels and a textile decorated with manji, used for the Obon festival. The Obon festival is traditionally celebrated in mid-July. The netsuke decorated with kikyo (bellflowers) and other summer flowers, kikyo blooming in Japan from July through September. The ojime decorated with further kikyo and related blossoms.

August – Tsukimi (Moon-Viewing) – Hagi (Bush Clover)
The four-case inro with a silver ground, decorated with fine inlays of pottery, aogai, and pewter-enriched, coarse lacquer (for the moon), one side depicting three men on a red blanket drinking sake and admiring the full moon, the reverse with bundles of twigs and hagi (bush clover). The Moon-Viewing festival (Tsukimi) is celebrated in August, often on the 15th night of the 8th month. The netsuke decorated with hagi blossoms beside other related flowers, hagi blooming from August into September. The ojime painted with further hagi.

September – Choyo no Sekku (Chrysanthemum Festival) – Kiku (Chrysanthemums)
The four-case inro with a gold fundame ground, decorated in takamaki-e with fine pottery inlays, one side depicting sprays of kiku growing under a bicolored roof beside a twig fence, the reverse with a gentleman and lady seated on a cushioned bench enjoying tea, referencing chrysanthemum parties. The Chrysanthemum Festival (Choyo no Sekku) is celebrated on the 9th of September. The netsuke decorated with blossoming kiku in a bamboo vase beside tea ceremony implements, chrysanthemums blooming in Japan from September into November. The ojime of hyotan shape painted with kiku sprays.

October – Ebisu-ko (Festival of Ebisu) – Nanten (Nandina)
The four-case inro with a roiro ground, the risers lacquered in gold, decorated in takamaki-e with fine inlays of pottery, one side depicting businessmen celebrating and drinking tea during the Festival of Ebisu (Ebisu-ko), the reverse with a scroll painting of Ebisu holding a carp. The Festival of Ebisu is celebrated on the 20th of October. The netsuke decorated with bamboo and nandina berries, nandina bearing red berries from autumn into winter. The ojime painted with bamboo and nandina.

November – Momiji-gari (Maple Viewing) – Momiji (Maple Leaves, turn red in November)
The four-case inro with a roiro ground sprinkled with kinpun, decorated in takamaki-e with fine inlays of coral, stained bone, and glazed pottery, one side depicting an inro with a lobster suspending a coral ojime and netsuke with peony, the reverse with Taira no Koremochi drawing his sword to slay a demon. According to legend, Koremochi was lured during a maple-viewing banquet by a beautiful woman, who revealed herself to be a demon, before he awoke and slew her with his sword — a tale long associated with momiji and autumn. The maple-leaf viewing festival (Momiji-gari) takes place throughout November, when the autumn colors reach their peak. The netsuke decorated with maple leaves, which turn brilliant red in November. The ojime painted with green and red maple leaves.

December – Mochitsuki (New Year Preparations) – Sui­sen (Narcissus)
The four-case inro with a green-lacquered ground decorated in takamaki-e with fine inlays of pottery and mother-of-pearl, one side depicting a man and woman pounding mochi in a large wooden mortar, the reverse with a desiccated salmon and a lobster, all referring to the New Year. Mochi-pounding (Mochitsuki) is held in December in preparation for the New Year. The netsuke decorated with suisen (narcissus) issuing from rockwork, suisen blooming in Japan from December into early spring. The ojime further decorated with suisen.

HEIGHT 6.5 - 9.8 cm

Condition: Very good condition with minor surface wear, some slight bruising to the top likely from contact with an ojime, a few fine age cracks, minor flaking to the inlays and lacquer, and one netsuke with small repairs and touchups to the pottery inlay (the peony netsuke, June). Considering the age, it is extraordinarily rare to find such a complete set preserved in this condition; this has only been possible because the inro, ojime, and netsuke were carefully stored in the tomobako, which accompanies the present lot.

With a large wood tomobako comprising twelve smaller tomobako for each inro.

Ogawa Haritsu (formerly often referred to outside Japan by his alternative name of Ritsuo) was among the first Japanese lacquer artists to establish an independent reputation outside the hereditary craft dynasties of Kyoto, Edo, and Kanazawa. Following an early career as a haiku poet, he is thought to have first turned his attention to lacquer design in middle age and soon attracted a wide following thanks to his novel choice of subject matter and pioneering and imaginative use of unusual materials. At some point after 1710 he was hired by Tsugaru Nobuhisa (1669–1747), lord of a domain in northern Japan, for whom he worked until 1731.

Museum comparison:
Zeshin was heavily influenced by Ogawa Haritsu, and it is likely that he drew inspiration from the present set for his own rendition of the twelve months. Compare a related inro set for the twelve months by Shibata Zeshin, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, no. W.302-1922.