ZONSEI: A FINE TSUIKOKU (CARVED BLACK LACQUER) FOUR-CASE INRO DEPICTING CHORYO AND KOSEKIKOBy Zonsei, signed Zonsei 村靖 zo 造Japan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Each side bearing a sunken panel, one carved in relief with Kosekiko chasing the unseen dragon though crashing waves near a mountain, the other with Kosekiko presenting the shoe to Choryo, who sits on his horse galloping over a bridge. The various layers of lacquer are intricately carved with rinzu and wave grounds, complementing the finely incised crashing waves, roughly textured craggy rockwork, and smooth wispy clouds. The top and base carved with further swirling clouds. One side neatly incised with the signature ZONSEI zo [made by Zonsei]. With a black-lacquered wood ojime of faceted ovoid form and decorated with mother-of-pearl inlays. HEIGHT 7.5 cmCondition: Excellent condition with minor wear. Provenance: Swiss private collection. The interior with two inscribed labels, ‘4928 18 Jun 05’ and ‘59’. Zonsei, who appears to have worked exclusively in tsuishu and tsuikoku, is listed in Wrangham, (1995) The Index of Inro Artists, p. 347.Zhang Liang (known as Choryo in Japanese) was a Chinese military strategist and politician who lived in the early Western Han dynasty. The present netsuke depicts the legend of when Choryo met the old man Kosekiko (Huang Shigong) on a bridge. The old man began to teach the art of war to Choryo and one day Kosekiko wanted to test Choryo and threw a shoe into the river where a powerful water dragon lived. The dragon seized the shoe and Choryo defeated it and gave the shoe back to Kosekiko. The present inro shows Choryo chasing the unseen dragon through crashing waves on one side, while the other shows side shows the aftermath: the proud Choryo, standing on the vanquished dragon, presenting the shoe to Kosekiko who is mounted on a horse atop a bridge. According to legend, Choryo used the teachings of Kosekiko as a military adviser to Liu Bang, the founder of the Han dynasty.Auction comparison:Compare a related tsuikoku four-case inro by Zonsei, similarly carved with a different subject, 7.3 cm high, also dated 19th century, with a black-lacquered ojime, at Bonhams, The Edward Wrangham Collection of Japanese Art Part V, 5 November 2014, London, lot 199 (sold for 1,500 GBP).