Ɏ HOJITSU: A SUPERB AND AMUSING IVORY NETSUKE OF SHOKI AND ONI POUNDING MOCHI

拍品描述

Ɏ HOJITSU: A SUPERB AND AMUSING IVORY NETSUKE OF SHOKI AND ONI POUNDING MOCHI By Meikeisai Hojitsu, signed Hojitsu 法實 Japan, Edo (Tokyo), c. 1850-1870 Ingeniously conceived as the epitome of the eternal contest between Shoki and the oni, the scene shows them engaged in the pounding of mochi, a process requiring perfect timing as one pounds and the other folds with lightning speed - any hesitation would result in crushed hands, which Shoki appears to be banking on. The netsuke is finely carved and lightly stained, depicting the fierce demon-queller gripping a pestle, poised to strike, while a mischievous oni kneels to fold the mochi in a large wooden vessel, detailed with wormholes and foliage. Natural himotoshi through the oni’s legs and signed HOJITSU underneath. HEIGHT 3.9 cm Literature comparison: Fuld’s Netsuke and Ojime Index records only one other netsuke of this rare subject. Compare a closely related wood netsuke, by Tomochika, at Sotheby’s, Japanese Works of Art including the Collection of the Late Chales A. Greenfield, Part III, 24 March 1999, New York, lot 40. Compare a related wood figure of Shoki and oni, by the same artist, also signed Hojitsu, illustrated in Davey, Neil K. (1974) Netsuke: A Comprehensive Study Based on the M.T. Hindson Collection, p. 148, no. 441. Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number AT 25-B-1272). This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.

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