JOBUN: A RARE WOOD NETSUKE OF SANKO-JO (OLD MAN)

JOBUN: A RARE WOOD NETSUKE OF SANKO-JO (OLD MAN)

By Jobun, signed Jobun 如文
Japan, Edo (Tokyo), late 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Well carved from pale boxwood, depicting the mask of an enlightened old man with a goatee, deep incised wrinkles on his forehead, sorrowful eyes with hollowed pupils and set with bags, a prominent nose, an agape mouth revealing the upper row of teeth, flanked by sunken cheeks. His full head of hair is finely incised and fashioned into an elegant style. Himotoshi through the central bar to the back and signed JOBUN – this artist dubbed as 'the master of expression' only rarely carved mask netsuke.

HEIGHT 5 cm

Condition: Very good condition with minor wear.
Provenance: Ex-collection Dr. Walter Heihs, sold at Sotheby's, 17 June 1998, lot 585. European collection P. Jacquesson, acquired from the above.

For a discussion of Jobun and his work, illustrating a few mask netsuke, see Milton Stratos, The Netsuke Carvings of Jobun, International Netsuke Society Journal, vol. 22, no.1, pp. 14-27.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related wood mask netsuke of Fukai by the same artist, signed Jobun, illustrated in Arakawa, Hirokazu (1983) The Go Collection of Netsuke, Tokyo National Museum, no. 266.