TAKASHIGE: A SUPERB AND LARGE WOOD MASK OF KITSUNE (FOX) WITH MOVABLE JAW

拍品描述

TAKASHIGE: A SUPERB AND LARGE WOOD MASK OF KITSUNE (FOX) WITH MOVABLE JAW By Kato Takashige, signed with the artist’s kakihan Japan, late 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Superbly carved as a kitsune (fox) mask with a movable jaw, long snout, large, pointed ears and fierce eyes, with bone-inlaid irises and ebony pupils, beneath furrowed brows. The wood is meticulously polished, accentuating the beautiful grain and bearing a warm patina. Central himotoshi bar to the back. Signed with the artist’s kakihan (cursive monogram) to the himotoshi bar. HEIGHT 6.3 cm Literature comparison: Compare a closely related wood mask netsuke by the same artist of a kitsune, signed Takashige saku, illustrated in Sagemonoya (2002) Netsuke, Ojime & Masatoshi’s Kabuki, p. 55, no. 147. The artist is also listed in Meinertzhagen, Frederick / Lazarnick, George (1986) MCI, Part B, p. 849 where his kakihan is recorded together with his signature. Auction comparison: Compare a related wood netsuke of a kitsune mask, unsigned, dated 19th century, at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 29 October 2021, Vienna, lot 252 (sold for EUR 5,688).

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