A RARE DARK WOOD NETSUKE OF A SUMO WRESTLING FROG

A RARE DARK WOOD NETSUKE OF A SUMO WRESTLING FROG

Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

A very unusual and wonderfully tactile, old wood netsuke depicting a smooth frog, crouching, ready to leap at a moment's notice, humorously dressed as a sumo wrestler in a simple mawashi, the details rendered in a somewhat stylized manner, the limbs of the amphibian tucked under its rounded belly. Very large, generously excavated himotoshi to the underside and signed, possibly reading Kazumoto 一本.

LENGTH 4.2 cm

Condition: Good condition with minor wear. Smoothened old chips to three of the limbs. One nick to the neck.

The most notable account showing anthropomorphic animals are the Choju-jinbutsu-giga scrolls (literally "Animal-person Caricatures"), commonly shortened to Choju-giga (literally "Animal Caricatures"), a famous set of four picture scrolls, belonging to Kozan-ji temple in Kyoto, which dates to the mid-12th century and is credited as the oldest manga in history. The scrolls are the earliest in a linear monochrome drawing style illustrating anthropomorphic frogs, rabbits, and monkeys engaging in human activities. The scrolls are now entrusted to the Tokyo National Museum of Japan.