SHIBATA ZESHIN (1807-1891)An Album of Eleven MiniatureUrushi-e (Lacquer Paintings)Meiji era (1868–1912), circa 1885–1886With a calligraphic title page, bound inorihon (concertina) style, the blank pages covered in gold-painted paper, the cover of silk brocade woven with geometric and floral designs and bearing a blank gold-paper title slip, the title page and paintings as follows:1) Title page inscribed with a single blackurushi-e characterGa (Elegance) and signedYowai hachiju Tairyukyo Zeshin (Tairyukyo Zeshin, in his eightieth year)2) The trunk and branch of an ancient pine tree by a river, with bamboo grass in the foreground; signedZeshin and sealedShin3) A turtle climbing into asakazuki (sake cup) inscribedKotobuki (Long life); signedZeshin and sealedShin4) A branch of plum and a bowl with bamboo chopsticks andtororo (grated yam), perhaps with fish and seaweed, served as a New-Year dish; signedZeshin and sealedShin5) Butterflies and spring plants—warabi (fern),tanpopo (dandelion), bamboo, and bamboo grass—by a stream; signedZeshin and sealedShin6) Pine trees with a swallow flying overhead; signedGyonen nanajukyu-o Zeshin (Zeshin, aged 79) and sealedShin7) Five clam shells; signed and sealedZeshin8) Pumpkin, daikon, and two aubergines; signedZeshin and sealedZe9) A mountainous pine-clad shore with fishing boats, gulls, and ashiofuki (whale's spout) in the foreground; signedZeshin and sealedZe10) A snake and reeds; signedZeshin and sealedShin11) A sailing boat by a rock with the branch of a tree; signedZeshin and sealedZe12) A gardener's bamboo basket with fruits ofhozuki (Chinese lantern plant,Physalis alkekengi); signedZeshin with an unidentified seal; with a fitted woodtomobako inscribed outsideTairyukyo Zeshin hitsu urushi-e cho (Album of lacquer paintings brushed by Tairyukyo Zeshin); signed insideChikushin shiki (Recorded by Chikushin), with an unidentified seal; also with silk brocadechitsu (outer wrapper).Overall: 1.7cm × 3.7cm × 6.9cm (5/8in × 1½in × 2¾in); each painting: 6.4cm × 5.2cm (2½in × 2in). (3).Artist or Maker: Shibata Zeshin (1807-1891)Provenance: Provenance:A Royal Collection.For a similar single-character inscription by Zeshin, in an album dating from 1882–1883,pareShibata Zeshin no shikko, urushi-e, kaiga (Shibata Zeshin: From Lacquer Arts to Painting), exhibition catalogue, Tokyo, 2012, cat. no.111.8 (also Sebastian Izzard,Zeshin: The Catherine and Thomas Edson Collection, exhibition catalogue, San Antonio, San Antonio Museum of Art, 2007, cat. no.44.1).Shoji Chikushin (1854–1936), whosego or art name was Kakan'an, was a leading pupil of Zeshin who often signed boxes authenticating his work.