A SUPERB AND VERY LARGE INLAID WOOD NETSUKE OF GAMA SENNIN

Lot details Unsigned Japan, Tsu, late 18th to early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) The strikingly tall figure superbly carved as an amused Gama Sennin with his toad playfully clambering on his shoulder. The toad, with one arm under sennin’s neck and the other on top of his head, seems to be unwilling to extricate itself from his master’s shoulder. Gama is shown with his mouth agape in a humorous, wide-open grin, his face set with large eyes of inlaid bone with reddish horn pupils, as he holds one of the toad’s legs, in an attempt to pull it down, while the toad embraces his master’s head in impish resistance. The immortal is clothed in a loosely fitted robe with long draping sleeves, typical of hermits, the leaves inlaid with stained bone and horn. The amphibian’s skin is finely textured, and the eyes are inlaid in gilt with reddish horn pupils. Two very large and asymmetrical himotoshi ringed in green-stained bone to the back. HEIGHT 14.8 cm Condition: One foot with a repair and possibly minor repairs to inlays. Generally very good condition and presenting beautifully. Provenance: Toledano, Arcachon, October 1988. Ex-collection Guy de Lasteyrie, acquired from the above. De Lasteyrie is a member of the Lasteyrie du Saillant family and is considered among the leading French collectors of netsuke. Auction comparison: For a closely related example of a Daruma with similar expression and similar inlays, by Tanaka Juntoku Minko, see Bonhams, The Jamese A. Rose Collection of Netsuke and Sagemono, 17 September 2012, New York, lot 2069 (sold for USD 10,000).Unsigned Japan, Tsu, late 18th to early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) The strikingly tall figure superbly carved as an amused Gama Sennin with his toad playfully clambering on his shoulder. The toad, with one arm under sennin’s neck and the other on top of his head, seems to be unwilling to extricate itself from his master’s shoulder. Gama is shown with his mouth agape in a humorous, wide-open grin, his face set with large eyes of inlaid bone with reddish horn pupils, as he holds one of the toad’s legs, in an attempt to pull it down, while the toad embraces his master’s head in impish resistance. The immortal is clothed in a loosely fitted robe with long draping sleeves, typical of hermits, the leaves inlaid with stained bone and horn. The amphibian’s skin is finely textured, and the eyes are inlaid in gilt with reddish horn pupils. Two very large and asymmetrical himotoshi ringed in green-stained bone to the back. HEIGHT 14.8 cm Condition: One foot with a repair and possibly minor repairs to inlays. Generally very good condition and presenting beautifully. Provenance: Toledano, Arcachon, October 1988. Ex-collection Guy de Lasteyrie, acquired from the above. De Lasteyrie is a member of the Lasteyrie du Saillant family and is considered among the leading French collectors of netsuke. Auction comparison: For a closely related example of a Daruma with similar expression and similar inlays, by Tanaka Juntoku Minko, see Bonhams, The Jamese A. Rose Collection of Netsuke and Sagemono, 17 September 2012, New York, lot 2069 (sold for USD 10,000).

Natural Light Images for Logged-in Users Only You can find images of this item taken under natural daylight below. Click on an image to zoom in or save. If there are no natural light images for this item, please email us at office@zacke.at or use the request form below. Log in or sign up to view the natural light images.