Page 263 - Fine Japanese Art October 28, 2020 Galerie Zacke
P. 263
269 | AN INLAID PANEL WITH ASHINAGA AND these two countries possess unusually lengthy arms and legs. The
TENAGA PICKING PEACHES two work together as a team to catch fish by the seashore. In order
to do this, the long-armed man, Tenaga, climbs onto the back of
Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912) the long-legged man, Ashinaga. Ashinaga then wades out into the
shorewaters, staying above water with his long legs, while tenaga
uses his long arms to grab fish from his partner’s back.
The finely grained hinoki wood panel inlaid with ivory, stag antler
and boxwood, partially lacquered, depicting a relief of Ashinaga and SIZE 65 x 36 cm
Tenaga working together to grab a peach from a leafy branch.
Condition: Two minimal losses, otherwise superb condition with
Ashinaga-tenaga are a pair of yokai in Japanese folklore. One, only some wear and minimal dents and chipping.
Ashinaga-jin, has extremely long legs, while the other, Tenaga-jin, Provenance: Old Austrian private collection. Old collector’s label
has extremely long arms. They were first described in the Japanese “149 w. Loozi” to the reverse.
encyclopedia Wakan Sansai Zue. The pair is commonly described
as people from two countries, the “Long-legged Country”, and the Estimate EUR 1,000
“Long-armed Country”. As the names suggest, the inhabitants of Starting price EUR 500
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