FUJI: A WOOD NETSUKE OF A RAKUGOKA, STORYTELLER

FUJI: A WOOD NETSUKE OF A RAKUGOKA, STORYTELLER

Signed Fuji 藤
Japan, Edo (Tokyo), early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Carved kneeling and sitting in the seiza position, his hands placed on his knees, the torso slightly turned to the left as he animatedly enacts the role of a blindman. The bulbous, bald head expressively carved with closed eyes above a broad nose and agape mouth, creating a satirical expression. He is dressed in a voluminous overcoat with billowing sleeves which pool gracefully around him, the coat is layered over a hakama, the traditional attire of the guild for the blind (todoza). Generously excavated asymmetrical himotoshi to the base through the side and signed with a single character FUJI.

LENGTH 3.5 cm

Condition: Good condition with minor wear. Two chips along the hem of the robe at the back.
Provenance: Ex-collection Isabel Sharpe. British private collection, acquired from the above.

Rakugo (story with a fall) is a form of Japanese verbal entertainment, traditionally performed in yose theatres. The lone storyteller (rakugoka) sits on a raised platform and using only a paper fan and a small cloth as props, he narrates a long and complicated comical or sentimental story, without standing up from the seiza sitting position. The story always involves the dialogue of two or more characters. The difference between the characters is depicted only through change in pitch, tone, and a slight turn of the head.