Page 111 - Fine Japanese Art September 25, 2020 Galerie Zacke Netsuke and Sagemono

223 | MATSUKI hOKEI: A SUpERB TSUIShU
LACQUER NETSUKE OF EMMA-O

By Matsuki Hokei, singed Hokei 豊慶 to 刀
Japan, Tokyo, late 19th century, Meiji period (1868-1912)
published: Netsuke Kenkyukai, Vol. 8, Spring 1988, illustrated on
the back cover.
Eskenazi (1997) Japanese Netsuke, Ojime and Inro from the Dawson
Collection, pp. 24-25, no. 24.
Bulletin Franco Japonais, no. 143, Masques Extraordinaires, January
2020, p. 18, no. 20.
Exhibited: Bonhams, Paris, during the International Netsuke
Collector’s Society Convention October 2019.

A superbly carved mask netsuke, lacquered in tsuishu red, and
depicting the king of hell Emma-O. Emma-O is represented here
with a fierce expression enhanced by deeply carved, pronounced
features. The eyebrows are furrowed and in the shape of a stylized
reishi fungus in the center. The beard and hair in the back show
minutely incised lines and are flowing. Emma-O wears the typical
Chinese judge’s cap with an incised key-fret border and the symbol
王 for king on the top. The reverse is lacquered in roiro-nuri, except
for the bridge which form the himotoshi and houses the signature
HOKEI to (carved). AUCTION COMpARISON
For another mask netsuke
HEIGHT 5 cm
by Matsuki Hokei see Bonhams,
The Edward Wrangham Collection
Condition: Excellent condition. of Japanese Art Part II,
provenance: Ex collection Bearsted, sold at Christie’s London 15 10 May 2011, London, lot 98
December 2017, lot 157. Then collection Dawson and purchased (sold for 4.800 GBp).
from Eskenazi by the present owner P. Jacquesson.
Emma-O, in Japanese Buddhist mythology, is the equivalent to the Estimate EUR 6.000,-
Hindu deity yama and judges the soul of men in hell. Starting price EUr 3.000,-

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