A two case carved wood inro with a design of turtles

Signed: Hidari Issan with ‘Toku’ kao.

Iwashiro, Edo Period, 19th century

Height: 8cm

One side finely carved with a large turtle and the other with a turtle with cub.

The inner compartments are in black roiro lacquer.

Hidari Issan is best known for his carvings of turtles and produced a number of turtle-shaped netsuke and inro. The same subject but in relief, as in this case, is quite rare.