A FINE BOXWOOD NETSUKE OF A HOSSU

拍品描述

A FINE BOXWOOD NETSUKE OF A HOSSU Unsigned Japan, late 18th to early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved as a hossu, the Buddhist flywhisk, its long handle partially enveloped by a gracefully sweeping bundle of incised hairs. The lower section is carved as a rounded gathered knot, encircled by a flowerhead, the strands rendered with fine parallel lines. HEIGHT 5.2 cm Hossu are one of the emblems of a high-ranking Buddhist priest, particularly those of the Zen sect. The whisk came to Japan from India via China and was used to flick away flies and mosquitoes. In Zen Buddhism the hossu is a token of a monk's legitimacy and authority and stands for swishing away delusive thoughts and ideas that are continuously troubling human beings. It is the paramount attribute of Zen patriarch Daruma. Literature comparison: Compare a related wood netsuke of a hossu, by Sessai, illustrated in Lazarnick, George (1981) Netsuke & Inro Artists, and How to Read Their Signatures (LNIA), Vol. 2, p. 940.

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