This cylindrical brush pot carries a continuous, winding koshi-ire, a bridal procession. In the foreground a high-ranking lady is carried in a palanquin, with ladies-in-waiting holding lanterns walking alongside, and servants follow behind bearing the bride’s possessions. Geometric borders frame the rim and foot.
The bridal procession is a less common variant of the studio’s procession subjects, which more usually show a daimyō’s retinue. The brush pot, a scholar’s desk object, is the only example of the form among the auction records gathered here. It is signed on the base ‘Yabu Meizan’ within a gilt square seal. Offered at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, London, New Bond Street, on 7 November 2019, lot 137. It realised £7,562.50 including buyer’s premium, against an estimate of £7,000–£9,000.