Twelve Pipecases and Tobacco Pouches**
Edo-Meiji Periods (19th Century)
Comprising a black-lacquer pipecase decorated with a landscape in togidashi and nashiji, signed Nishita in toroku sho hyo and with a brocade tobacco pouch designed with a dragon in swirling clouds, the metal clasp modelled as a ronin and patinated in shibuichi, signed Kazumasa and with a bamboo and metal pipe and fitted with an agate bead ojime; a lacquered woven-rattan pipecase decorated with an ivory-inlaid ear of corn and reishi fungus, the signature reserve now lost, and a leather tobacco pouch with a silver clasp formed as plovers flying over waves and rock baskets, gilt details, and fitted with an ivory bead ojime carved with birds and pine; a pipecase of red and black-striped lacquer mounted with silver fittings and a lacquered leather tobacco pouch, the clasp cast as Hotei resting on his treasure bag, patinated in shakudo and fitted with a coral bead ojime; a bamboo pipecase carved in low relief with a Gigaku mask and the inscription Himuro jinja ranryo-o men (Ranryo-o mask from Hinmuro shrine), with signature Rengyoku to and with kao (cursive monogram), fitted with silver mounts, the leather tobacco pouch with a soft-metal clasp carved in katakiribori with Daruma, the reverse with a fly whisk, fitted with a glass bead ojime; a pipecase of lacquered-woven rattan, with silver fittings and a leather tobacco pouch, a silver clasp carved in katakiribori with a Chinese lion, the reverse with a gilt butterfly in flush inlay, signed Issei; a wood pipecase of natural finish with silver fittings and a leather tobacco pouch with a silver clasp cast as a paulownia, the reverse carved with a phoenix, and a silver cylindrical ojime pierce-cast with chrysanthemums; a wood pipecase carved as a bamboo shoot, the ivory cover incised with a band of keyfrets around the edge, the leather tobacco pouch mounted with a clasp fashioned from a sword fitting and with a cylindrical glass ojime; a small pipecase of vertical bamboo strips with a hinged cover in silver, the lacquered and tooled leather tobacco pouch designed to resemble patchwork, fitted with a white stone bead ojime; a deer skin pipecase and matching tobacco pouch fastened with a gilt-silver chain, the central connector of gilt-silver cast in high relief on both sides with a dragon, the pouch with a metal clasp cast as a pheasant and finshed in gilt, shibuichi and shakudo, the ensemble with a pierce-cast copper egg netsuke of scrolling vines; a blue fabric pipecase with gilt-silver fittings, the matching tobacco pouch connected with three silver chains gathered together by a pill-shaped silver ojime cast with chrysanthemums, and mounted with a metal clasp cast as a Chinese lion and brocade ball, and with silver and bamboo pipe; a purple brocade pipecase with cranes and flower design, the matching tobacco case with a gilt-metal clasp formed as a flying crane, in wood storage box; a leather and brocade pocket book, the interior with two compartments and a small removeable mirror, the closure formed as a stylized yin-yang symbol in bronze with inlaid siver and gold vines and florets (12)