A large ivory okimono set on an elaborately carved base. Depicted is the ‘story of the lost cash’ when Aoto Saemon Fujitsuna was charged with carrying a bag of government cash, but the bag slipped while he was crossing a bridge. Fujitsuna then summoned workers and paid them handsomely to recover the lost money. His companion’s laughed at him as he had wasted all the money on the recovery effort, however if he had not summoned the workers the money would have been lost in any case, and now at least someone could benefit from it. The okimono depicts this scene with Fujitsuna on horseback smoking a pipe and watching as workers below sift through the weeds, recovering only a tortoise. The base is decorated with finely carved waves. Signed.
HEIGHT total 24 cm
Condition: Very good condition. The base with a crack. Provenance: British collection.