A WOOD AND IVORY NETSUKE OF A DRUNKEN SHOJO WITH MINOGAME AND KAPPA
Wood and ivory netsukeJapan19th century, Meiji period (1868-1912)This netsuke group clearly shows the richness of Japanese folklore. A shojo is a spirit that likes to appear as a girl-like creature and is always thirsty for sake. The word shojo is sometimes also translated as orangutan and can be used in Japanese to refer to someone who particularly enjoys drinking alcohol. Her face is inlaid with deeply red stained ivory, her long hair could be used to obtain a purple dye. The longevity turtle minogame and a kappa, literally “river child”, an amphibious creature with the beak of a bird and a turtle shell on its back. Both creatures are enjoying the sake served by the shojo. A dense composition with well-crafted, minute details. Himotoshi on the underside.HEIGHT 3.4 CM, WIDTH 3.8 CMCondition: Excellent conditionProvenance: French private collection