Property from a private collection HARA YŌYŪSAI (1772-1845/6)A Rōgin Lacquer Five-Case Inrō Edo period (1615-1868), 19th century Of oval profile with applied cord runners, decorated in gold, silver, and colored hiramaki-e and takamaki-e , with details in e-nashiji and kirigane , against a rōgin ( shibuichi-nuri ) gray lacquer ground, depicting three Momoyama-period (1573-1615) Portuguese visitors to Japan, one side with one figure holding the leash of his greyhound, another two shown on the reverse, one holding a sword and a staff with a feather attached at the tip, while hispanion points to something in the distance, the interior rich gold nashiji , signed Yōyūsai saku (Made by Yōyūsai); oval glass-bead ojime 3 1/2in (9cm) high Provenance Sotheby's, London, 1951 , London, November 6, 2012, lot 37 Published Henry P. Stevens, "Inrō Decorated with European Figures," Oriental Art , 3/1 (Spring 1957), pp.14-15