DEME UMAN: A FINE WOOD MASK NETSUKE OF A KITSUNE (FOX) WITH MOVABLE JAW

拍品描述

DEME UMAN: A FINE WOOD MASK NETSUKE OF A KITSUNE (FOX) WITH MOVABLE JAW By Deme Uman, signed Deme Uman Japan, Edo (Tokyo), late 18th to early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Well carved as a kitsune (fox) mask with pricked ears, slightly bulging eyes deeply carved, above an open mouth revealing its gilt teeth and a moveable jaw secured by stylized scroll-form hinges. The reverse with a central himotoshi bar and signed DEME UMAN. The wood finely stained. LENGTH 3.7 cm Deme Uman was the grandson of Deme Juman, who is regarded as the originator of mask netsuke. He is regarded as the most celebrated of mask netsuke makers and worked almost invariably in wood. Museum comparison: Compare a closely related wood netsuke of Kitsune with movable jaw by the same artist, signed Deme Uman, dated to the late 18th century, 4.2 cm high, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession number A.1011-1910. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related wood mask netsuke of Kitsune with movable jaw by the same artist, signed Deme Uman Tenkaichi, illustrated in Bushell, Raymond (1985), Netsuke Masks, pl. 185.

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