A MINUTELY CARVED AND UNUSUAL IVORY NETSUKE DEPICTING A KAPPA AND ONI
Ivory netsukeJapan19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The carving is more of an okimono than a functional netsuke as it so minutely carved that it seems it would shatter just by looking at. The depiction is quite peculiar and likely a mixture of themes. An oni and a kappa are standing on a platform, which is stained and stippled to great effect, reminiscent of some of the works of Mitsuhiro. The oni his holding a large war club with spikes on it, the details of his grim facial expression are very delicate. The kappa has a large tea kettle on his back, perhaps an allusion to folktale of Bunbuku Chagama, when a tanuki transforms into a tea kettle. The patterns on the clothes and kettle are elaborate. Himotoshi on the underside next to the two-character signature in a jar-shaped reserve which reads HARU-HA (Shun-nami).HEIGHT 2.7 CM, LENGTH 4 CMCondition: Excellent conditionProvenance: Collection of Sam Felton with CITES permit no. 18US59513C/9. Purchased at Gingerbread box in 1979.