AN UNUSUAL JAPANESE SINGLE-CASE WOOD INRO BY SANDOKU MEIJI ERA, 19TH CENTURY Of rectangular shape, embellished with a large cockatoo perched on a flowering branch of prunus to one side and butterflies fluttering above wisteria to the other; the various inlays made of horn, mother of pearl, and other materials; the lid opening to reveal a miniature set of shelves with boxes of various shapes, attached to a copper ojime modelled as a Daruma doll, the wood netsuke carved as a Mandarin duck; the inro with a two-character signature reading Sandoku , the inro 6.5cm. Provenance: formerly in the collection of the Duke of Gloucester, by repute. See the back cover of this catalogue for another view.