A SUPERB TALL WOOD NETSUKE OF A PERFORMER

拍品描述

A SUPERB TALL WOOD NETSUKE OF A PERFORMER Unsigned Japan, 19th century A remarkably tall netsuke depicting a performer standing in a dynamic pose, his upper body turned away from the audience as he flourishes a folding fan partly concealed within the voluminous folds of his robe. The garment falls in heavy pleats to the ankles, lending the figure a striking vertical presence. The slender hands with delicately modeled fingers animate the gesture, while the face displays a vivid and humorous expression: the mouth open to reveal crooked teeth, the broad nose with flaring nostrils, and drooping eyes set beneath a bulbous forehead. The finely incised hair is combed upward and tied in a small knot, the topknot falling gently to one side. Large, asymmetrical himotoshi are carved through the back. HEIGHT 10.8 cm This superbly carved figure, executed in deeply polished and attractively grained, pale wood, is difficult to assign to a specific school, as it shares characteristics with several accomplished carvers. The exaggerated and humorous facial expression recalls works by Kokeisai Sansho (1871–1926); however, a good comparison is also provided by the monkey-mask performer by Meikeisai Hojitsu (1835–1910) in the present sale (lot number 267). Another intriguing parallel is a netsuke of the same subject signed Toyomasa. Regardless of attribution, this anonymous carving stands comfortably alongside the finest works of these masters. Literature comparison: For a related wood netsuke of a dancing courtier by Kokeisai Sansho, 7.4 cm high, see Zacke, Kunst der Netsuke und Inro Japans – Ausstellung 1991, Vienna, no. 58. Compare also a related wood netsuke of the same subject and similar size, signed Toyomasa, illustrated on the cover of Inagaki Kiichi (2019) Netsuke Sanka (Love Song to Netsuke). Auction comparison: Compare a related wood netsuke of a dancing Okame with a similar expression, by Kokeisai Sansho, 8.3 cm high, at Sotheby’s, The Katchen Collection Of Netsuke, Part II, 13 July 2006, London, lot 26 (sold for GBP 9,360 or approx. EUR 18,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).

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