HARALD HAYEN: A FINE STAINED ANTLER CONTEMPORARY NETSUKE OF A KAPPA HEAD

拍品描述

HARALD HAYEN: A FINE STAINED ANTLER CONTEMPORARY NETSUKE OF A KAPPA HEAD By Harald Hayen (Hako), signed Hako Germany, late 20th century Finely carved from antler and stained green as the head of a kappa, the water spirit depicted with a mischievous expression. Its projecting mouth is slightly agape, revealing sharp incisors beneath a broad, flattened nose, while the eyes are double-inlaid in two tones of amber. The shallow cavity atop the head, believed to hold the creature’s life-sustaining water, is inlaid in rock crystal and surrounded by a thick fringe of deer hair. Although conceived in the manner of a mask netsuke, the work does not represent a theatrical mask but rather a portrait-like rendering of the creature’s entire head. Asymmetrical himotoshi to the underside and signed HAKO in seal form within a square reserve. HEIGHT 3.9 cm Kappa, literally “river children,” are amphibious yokai of Japanese folklore, generally portrayed as mischievous tricksters. The hollow atop the head contains water, the source of the creature’s strength, and the kappa becomes severely weakened should it be spilled. Despite their unruly nature, kappa are reputedly scrupulously polite and unable to resist returning a bow, a vulnerability often exploited to make them lose the precious water. Museum comparison: Compare a related antler netsuke of a kappa head by Fukumoto Homin, likely the inspiration for the present netsuke, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), accession no. M.91.250.215.

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