Page 36 - Fine Japanese Art Auction November 2 2019 Galerie Zacke

34 | SHOKO: A RARE WOOD NETSUKE OF
URASHIMA TARO WITH TURTLE

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Japan, Takayama, Hida school, 19th century, Edo period
(1615-1868)
Published: Lazarnick, George, Netsuke and Inro Artists,
Honolulu 1982, p. 967.
33 | HIDEHISA: A RARE WOOD NETSUKE OF A THIEF
STEALING THE MAGIC TANUKI KETTLE
Finely carved from wood with darkened and accentuated areas,
%\ +LGHKLVD VLJQHG +LGHKLVD 6KXN\X depicting Urashima Taro holding a large gourd filled with sake
Japan, early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) and offering it, in a sakazuki cup, to a little turtle crawling over
his shoulder. Urashima is nursing the turtle back to health with
Published: Lazarnick, George, Netsuke and Inro Artists, sake, the drink of the immortals. Very finely carved details such as
Honolulu 1982, p. 458. the turtle’s carapace, Urashima’s hair, his sandals and the straw
apron – surely an allusion to the minogame (straw raincoat turtle).
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A lightly stained, finely carved and expressive wood netsuke and signature on the underside SHOKO ֿ֟. A pupil of Matsuda
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According to Japanese folklore a poor man sets a tanuki free, which
in return transforms into a kettle, so that the man can perform with HEIGHT 4.2 cm
it on the street and become wealthy. This netsuke is quite unusual,
as instead of being shown happy or surprised (as usually depicted), Condition: Excellent condition, very appealing patina.
the man is quite possessive of the tanuki, fiercely grabbing on to it. Provenance: The Gabor Wilhelm Collection.
The man is a thief, who is trying to steal the magic kettle and enrich
himself. The front is inscribed ‘Toyo Fuku’ (great fortune), which the According to legend Urashima Taro saved a little minogame
man is trying to acquire. Angular himotoshi in the back. Signature (straw-raincoat turtle) from an ill fate, which subsequently turned
on the reverse on the left leg of the thief in a wavy reserve out to be the daughter of the dragon king. The next day a giant
HIDEHISA (Shukyu) ল΅. turtle appeared and brought Urashima to the underwater palace
of the dragon god. Urashima stayed there for a few days and
HEIGHT 4.4 cm received a box and was told not to open it. When he returned,
everyone he knew was gone and everything had changed, so in his
Condition: Good condition. Some plugged sections in the wood. bewilderment he opened the box and suddenly turned into an old
Very attractive patina. man. He then heard a whisper from the sea telling him he was told
Provenance: The Gabor Wilhelm Collection. not to open the box, in it was his old age…
Estimate EUR 3.000,- Estimate EUR 4.000,-
Starting price EUR 1.500,- Starting price EUR 2.000,-

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