Page 227 - Fine Japanese Art Auction November 2 2019 Galerie Zacke

MASKS

277 | AN IVORY NETSUKE OF A MAN
WITH TENGU MASK ATTRIBUTED
TO HIDEMASA

Unsigned, attributed to Hidemasa
Japan, Osaka, mid-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Carved as a man wearing an unusual hat and a kimono decorated
with cloud designs, holding a tasseled mask of a karasu-tengu in
front of him. The juxtaposition of the man’s expression and the
grim tengu mask is quite amusing and achieved very well. The
backside with asymmetrical himotoshi. Attributed to Shuosai
Hidemasa of Osaka.
HEIGHT 5.5 cm
Condition: Very good condition with minor expected age cracks and
wear.
Provenance: British collection.

Estimate EUR 800,-
Starting price EUR 400,-

279 | MIBOKU: A VERY RARE MIXED METAL
NETSUKE OF A NOH SHOJO DANCER
By Otsuryuken Miboku, signed Miboku
278 | A GROTESQUE IVORY NETSUKE Japan, mid to late 19th century
OF A KABUKI ACTOR

Unsigned Depicting a Noh actor as a Shojo dancer made from finely engraved
Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) shibuichi with a gilt face and gilt shoes. The mythological being
with finely engraved long hair is notorious for her drunkenness.
Here the actor mimics her drunken pose with a dancing posture,
The kabuki actor is standing in a dancing posture, with one leg her robe with finely engraved details. Signed MIBOKU ͸ಯ in a
raised above the other, wearing an eboshi and holding two mallets rectangular silver inlaid cartouche on the underside.
next to his face, on which he wears a grotesque mask from a Kabuki
play. The apron is carved in relief with a dragon, with inlaid eyes, HEIGHT 5.9 cm, LENGTH 4.8 cm, WIDTH 2.5 cm
whose expression is amusingly very much like that of the mask.
Good patina and large himotoshi in the back. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and oxidation.
Provenance: European collection.
HEIGHT 8 cm
Otsuryuken Miboku of the important Hamano school was
Condition: Very good condition with good patina. a metalworker and maker of sword fittings. When demand
Provenance: Luxembourg private collection. subsequently decreased during the latter half of the 19th century
he started making netsuke, though mostly kagamibuta. Figural
Kabuki is a traditional form of comedy theatre often performed in netsuke are extremely rare by this artist, and the present netsuke is
the intermissions of Noh-plays. exemplary of his superior workmanship in metal.
Estimate EUR 800,- Estimate EUR 2.000,-
Starting price EUR 400,- Starting price EUR 1.000,-

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