Page 20 - Fine Japanese Netsuke, Sagemono, Oikimono April 29, 2019 Galerie Zacke
P. 20

GODS AND BUDDHISM

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                                                                                AN UNUSUAL IVORY                                                                                      AN EARLY IVORY NETSUKE OF   HEIGHT 3.9 CM
                                                                                NETSUKE OF HOTEI                                                                                      A CHINESE BOY ON HOTEI’S
                                                                                LAUGHING AND A BOY                                                                                    SACK                     Condition: Good condition, with
                                                                                BY YASUHIDE                                                                                           Unsigned, ivory netsuke   very appealing honey patina and
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                                                                                "Y 9ASUHIDE  IVORY NETSUKE                                                                            Japan, 18  century       few expected age cracks
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                                                                                Japan, 19  century, Edo period                                                                                                 Provenance: Austrian private
                                                                                                                                                                                      A very early netsuke depicting   collection, formerly acquired at
                                                                                                                                                                                      a Chinese boy or karako, his   Galerie Zacke in the 1990s
                                                                                A particularly humorous                                                                               facial features extensively worn,
                                                                                netsuke showing the gleefully                                                                         RECLINING ON A SACK  fukuro) – an   Estimate EUR 600,-
                                                                                laughing, fat-bellied Hotei                                                                           allusion to the lucky god Hotei -   Starting price EUR 300,-
                                                                                lying comfortably on his                                                                              and holding a leaf-shaped fan in
                                                                                giant bag containing treasure                                                                         one hand, on a strikingly crafted
                                                                                 takaramono). This bag, which                                                                         base. Very pronounced, fine honey
                                                                                is larger than Hotei himself, is                                                                      patina. Large himotoshi through
                                                                                being pulled by a very small                                                                          the base. A very well-rounded
                                                                                karako who is clearly having                                                                          composition.
                                                                                a hard time. Large himotoshi
                                                                                on the underside, signed
                                                                                9!35()$% koku no kore
                                                                                 CARVED BY       WITHIN A LEAF
                                                                                shaped reserve.                                                                                       23
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                                                                                                                                                                                      A VERY RARE 17  CENTURY   edges smoothed from wear.
                                                                                LENGTH 6.6 CM                                                                                         IVORY NETSUKE OF TWO     $EPICTED ARE TWO #HINESE BOYS
                                                                                                                                                                                      CHINESE BOYS WITH HOTEI’S   their facial expressions executed
                                                                                Condition: The patina worn                                                                            SACK                     very much in the style of the Ming-
                                                                                with a few age cracks – good                                                                          Unsigned, ivory netsuke  dynasty, dressed in Chinese robes
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                                                                                and complete condition                                                                                Japan, 17  century, Edo period   and holding a fan together above a
                                                                                0ROVENANCE  "RITISH PRIVATE                                                                                                    tied sack – an allusion to the lucky
                                                                                collection                                                                                                                     deity Hotei  IN #HINESE Budai).
                                                                                                                                                                                      This netsuke shows a popular
                                                                                Estimate EUR 600,-                                                                                    theme, adopted from China,   HEIGHT 3.5, LENGTH 4.6 CM
                                                                                Starting price EUR 300,-                                                                              and used for some of the earliest
                                                                                                                                                                                      Japanese netsuke which derived   Condition: Worn condition, very
                                                                                                                                                                                      from Chinese toggles. The next   appealing patina, age cracks and
                                                                                                                                                                                      catalog no. 24 shows the same   the fan is slightly chipped
            20                                   21                                                                                                                                   motif, though slightly later and   Provenance: Austrian private
            AN IVORY NETSUKE OF HOTEI PLAYING KAMIFUKI   AN IVORY NETSUKE OF HOTEI AND A BOY BY                                                                                       smaller. The present netsuke   collection
            AND A KARAKO BY MINZAN               MASATOSHI                                                                                                                            shows a very deep patina, several
            "Y -INZAN  IVORY NETSUKE             "Y -ASATOSHI  IVORY NETSUKE                                                                                                          age cracks and large and well   Estimate EUR 1.000,-
            Japan, mid-19  CENTURY  %DO PERIOD              Japan, Tokyo, mid-19  CENTURY  %DO PERIOD                                                                                 hollowed-out himotoshi, the   Starting price EUR 500,-
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            A relatively small netsuke of Hotei seated on the   A small, very charming netsuke showing Hotei in a Chinese
            ground, bald and as always with a naked chest and   garment, barefoot and with a stick over his shoulders, to                                                             24
            belly. He is looking upwards at a piece of paper stuck   WHICH HIS CHARACTERISTIC SACK WITH TREASURE  takaramono) is                                                      AN EARLY IVORY NETSUKE OF   a characteristic attribute of Hotei.
            to his forehead and is bringing his lips forward to blow   attached on one side. A small boy hangs in a cloth attached                                                    TWO CHINESE BOYS AND THE   Himotoshi through the bag with
            the paper away, playing the game of kamifuki. A small   on the other side. A dense and lively composition showing                                                         BAG OF HOTEI             a large opening on the underside,
            karako is standing beside him pointing and pulling   considerable wear with a fine patina. Small himotoshi on                                                              Unsigned, ivory netsuke   very good patina, ideally rounded
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            on one of the lucky god’s ears. An unusual and rare   the reverse, signed MASATOSHI on the sack in a worn wavy                                                            Japan, mid-18  century,   shape.
            subject. Signature MINZAN, a pupil from the school of   reserve. Masatoshi was a student of Chikuyosai Tomochika.                                                         %DO PERIOD
            Tomochika, and small himotoshi on the underside.                                                                                                                                                   HEIGHT 2.8 CM
                                                 HEIGHT 3.9 CM                                                                                                                        Two karako are leaning on the
            (%)'(4     #-  7)$4(     #-                                                                                                                                               bag of the lucky god Hotei, which   Condition: Good condition, wear
                                                 Condition: Good condition with expected wear, some red                                                                               CONTAINS TREASURE  takaramono).   and age cracks, remnants of red
            Condition: Very good condition       paint residue on the underside                                                                                                       The bag has a large spherical   paint on the underside
            Provenance: The 40-Year Collection of a London   Provenance: The 40-Year Collection of a London Gentleman                                                                 shape and is tied up on the top.   Provenance: The 40-Year
            Gentleman                                                                                                                                                                 The boys, one of them with curly   Collection of a London Gentleman
                                                 Estimate EUR 600,-                                                                                                                   hair and the other bald, are only
            Estimate EUR 500,-                   Starting price EUR 300,-                                                                                                             slightly taller than the bag. One of   Estimate EUR 600,-
            Starting price EUR 250,-                                                                                                                                                  the boys is holding a fan, which is   Starting price EUR 300,-




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