A WOOD NETSUKE OF A SEVERED NIO HEADUnsigned, wood netsukeJapan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)A wood netsuke in the form of a severed head of a Nio. The guardian king's head is carved expressively, with glaring eyes, opened mouth and splendidly carved hair tied into a top knot. The underside with the fleshy structure, revealing that this is in fact a 'real' Nio and not a sculpture, and angled himotoshi. Severed heads from battle were a popular theme in Japanese art, however the motif of a severed Nio head is quite rare.HEIGHT 3.9 CMCondition: Excellent conditionProvenance: European private collection