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190| KIKUGAWA: A LARGE IVORY MANJU
NETSUKE OF BENKEI KILLING ThE
GIANT CARp
By a member of the Kikugawa family, signed with a kakihan 191| ShOZAN: A SUpERB MINIATURE
Japan, Tokyo, second half of 19th century OKIMONO OF A SKULL
By Shozan, signed Shozan 松山
A large and thick ivory manju netsuke showing exceptional carving Japan, Tokyo, Meiji period (1868-1912)
in shishiabori (sunken relief). Details of the design are minutely
engraved and stippled, with copious use of inking. Depicted is
Onikawa (the young Benkei) wrestling with a gigantic carp, his tanto A superbly carved and anatomically correct representation of a
(dagger) raised to deliver a killing blow. The finely engraved rinbo human skull – a symbol of mortality. The precisely carved skull
pattern on Benkei’s garment refers to his later life as a yamabushi has large cavernous eyes, a realistically carved nose with visible
monk. The carp’s visible eye is inlaid in dark horn ringed with silver. structures inside and minutely carved rows of teeth. The surface
The reverse with finely engraved rockwork. Particularly clever is is finely stippled and worked to resemble the heterogenous
the way that the artist has disguised an original age crack in his bony structure of the skull. The lower jaw is carved separately,
material with the ridge of the fish’s back. Cord attachment through is movable, and is attached to the upper jaw by copper springs.
the central peg. Signed to the back within a rounded reserve SHOZAN. The carver
was a pupil of Asahi Gyokuzan of Tokyo, who became famous for
Signed with a characteristic kakihan of the Kikugawa family, most his realistic representations of skulls, though arguably his pupil
closely corresponding to Kikugawa Jorinsai (see Lazarnick, George Shozan surpassed him in this instance.
(1982) Netsuke and Inro Artists, p. 1281, kakihan no. 28 & 29.)
HEIGHT 3.7 cm, LENGTH 5.1 cm, WIDTH 3 cm
For a detailed discussion of the depiction see Seaman, Joyce (2013)
Manju: Netsuke from The Collection of the Ashmolean Museum, p. Condition: Excellent condition.
232, no. 94. Provenance: British collection.
DIAMETEr 6.3 cm, THICKNESS 2.8 cm Literature comparison:
Compare with a similar but larger skull by Asahi Gyokuzan in Joly,
Condition: Excellent condition. Henri L. (1975) Catalogue of the H. Seymour Trower Collection of
provenance: Ex collection Jury Kolodotschko. Japanese Art, p. 29, no. 461, illustrated on plate VII.
Estimate EUR 6.000,- Estimate EUR 8.000,-
Starting price EUr 3.000,- Starting price EUr 4.000,-
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