AN IVORY OKIMONO OF A BIJIN WITH A LONG-TAILED COCKEREL BY SEISHU
Ivory okimonoJapanMeiji period (1868-1912)A standing young lady wearing a long Chinese robe, her shoes with raised toes hint at the noble Celestial Empire. She is holding a very long-tailed cockerel, called nagao tori, which is bred particularly on Shikoku, the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. In her other hand, she is holding an uchiwa (fan). Her hair is tied in a top knot with loops of hair covering both ears. Her facial features are executed in a fine and quite sensual manner. Decorative patterns on the robe, predominantly floral. Signed on the flat underside of the oval base, SEISHU.HEIGHT 18.2 CMCondition: Very good conditionProvenance: Austrian private collection