VADYM PYOVAR: KAPPA TASTING THE CLAM’S FLESH

拍品描述

VADYM PYOVAR: KAPPA TASTING THE CLAM’S FLESH By Vadym Pyvovar, signed with the artist’s initials Ukraine, 2025 Finely carved as a seated kappa, one leg tucked beneath the body, the mischievous yokai creature holding a large clam shell while dipping the fingers of one hand inside and savoring them with evident delight. The expressive face is superbly rendered with bulging jadeite-inlaid eyes, deeply furrowed brows, neatly combed hair, and a hooked beak-like nose. The finely ukibori-stippled, warty body contrasts beautifully with the intricately carved clam, its undulating shell pierced in deep openwork. Natural himotoshi through the limbs. Signed underneath with the artist’s initials. HEIGHT 5.1 cm The subject is a playful shunga-inspired parody, in which the clam serves as a longstanding visual metaphor for feminine sexuality in Japanese art. Rather than searching the shell for food, the kappa mischievously dips its fingers inside before licking them with unmistakable satisfaction, transforming the erotic allusion into a scene of irreverent humor. Both technically accomplished and delightfully tongue-in-cheek, the composition exemplifies Vadym Pyvovar's ability to reinterpret classical Japanese themes with wit and exceptional craftsmanship.

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