MEIKEISAI HOJITSU: A FINE DARK WOOD MASK NETSUKE OF OKAME

MEIKEISAI HOJITSU: A FINE DARK WOOD MASK NETSUKE OF OKAME

By Meikeisai Hojitsu (c. 1790-1873), signed Meikeisai Hojitsu 明鶏斎法實
Japan, Edo (Tokyo), mid-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Published: Bushell, Raymond (1985), Netsuke Masks, pl. 136.

Finely carved from dark wood with a fine grain, the Shinto deity's mouth open in a cheerful smile, her eyes squinting with delight, the rounded cheeks of the smiling face nicely dimpled. Her bow-shaped lips revealing neatly incised teeth, and her hair is parted in the middle and detailed with minute incisions. The himotoshi is formed by a twining cord linked to both sides with tasseled ends. Signed with the full artist's name MEIKEISAI HOJITSU.

HEIGHT 4.3 cm

Condition: Very good condition with minor wear.
Provenance: Ex-collection Raymond Bushell. Sotheby's, 21 March 2001, New York. European collection P. Jacquesson, acquired from the above.

According to F. Meinertzhagen, Meikeisai Hojitsu (c. 1790-1873) ranked among the great netsuke masters of the 19th century because of his “keen aesthetic perception combined with [his] supreme craftsmanship and versatility” (MCI, part A, p. 169).

Literature comparison:
Compare a related ivory netsuke of an Ofuku mask, signed Meikeisai Hojitsu, in the National Tokyo Museum, illustrated in Arakawa, Hirokazu (1983) The Go Collection of Netsuke, Tokyo National Museum, p. 76-77, no. 129.