Stationery Set with Black Pines and Deer in Makie and Mother-of-Pearl Inlay 槙鹿蒔絵螺鈿　料紙・硯箱マキシカマキエラデン　リョウシ・スズリバコ

Description

According to an old record, the pen-name of the artist who followed Korin's style was Seiseishi. Although he may have belonged to the Rimpa school, he was not widely known. A pair of deer along a stream are depicted on the inkstone case, while Maki'e black pine trees, deer, and a hill are depicted on the paper container. Various methods of lacquering is used, including Maki'e, tin plates, and mother-of-pearl. The inside of the boxes are decorated in the same Rimpa style.
Many objects bearing the seals and signatures of this artist are still remaining today; among them, this is one of the largest pieces and is Nagata's masterpiece. One record says that he had been active about the Shotoku and Kyoho Eras (1711-1736), but there is no evidence beyond that. Nevertheless, Nagata's works were still ranked very highly in the Edo Period.