Ɏ A VERY RARE AND LARGE IVORY NETSUKE OF BAIFUKU WITH HO-O BIRD

Lot details Unsigned Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Published: Joly, Henri (1908) Legend in Japanese Art, p. 81. Joly, Henri L. (1912) The W. L. Behrens Collection, Part 1, Netsuke, no. 4558, illustrated on pl. LIX. Eskenazi (1984) Japanese Netsuke, Ojime, Inro, Lacquer-Ware, no. 38. Standing, his body twisted ever so gently as he holds a ho-o bird or peacock to his chest, one hand supporting the majestic bird’s breast and the other placed gently on its tail feathers. He is dressed in a long voluminous robe with billowing sleeves which drape and fall elegantly over his frame. The mythical bird’s feathers are carefully incised and stained to show the variation in its plumage. Good himotoshi to the back, generously excavated and placed at angle. HEIGHT 10.6 cm Condition: Very good condition with minor surface wear and age cracks. Minuscule nibbling to edges and possibly a tiny chip to the edge of the bird’s wing. Provenance: Ex-collection W. L. Behrens (1861-1913). Ex-collection W. Lewis. Eskenazi, April 1986. 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. Baifuku (in Chinese Mei Fuh) was a Chinese governor of Nan Ch’ang (Nansho-no-Jo), who, disgusted with the corruption then prevailing, resigned his post in 14 B.C. and retired to mount Hiko, in Yunnan, where he penetrated the secrets of the genii, and having drunk of the elixir of everlasting life, returned to his native Show Ch’un. After a short while, some genii and a Lwan bird (peacock or phoenix) swooped down from the skies and carried him away to the Taoists paradise (H. L Joly, Legend in Japanese Art, p. 80). Literature comparison: Compare a closely related ivory netsuke of a foreigner with Chinese hat, with similar expression and headgear, in Joly, Henri L. (1912) The W. L. Behrens Collection, Part 1, Netsuke, no. 3301, illustrated on pl. XL. Auction comparison: This type of Lwan bird is rarely depicted in netsuke art and appears usually in combination with Dutchmen. Compare a related ivory netsuke of a Dutchman at Sotheby’s, Japanese Works of Art, 10 April 1997, London, lot 404. Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number FR2207508116-K).Unsigned Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Published: Joly, Henri (1908) Legend in Japanese Art, p. 81. Joly, Henri L. (1912) The W. L. Behrens Collection, Part 1, Netsuke, no. 4558, illustrated on pl. LIX. Eskenazi (1984) Japanese Netsuke, Ojime, Inro, Lacquer-Ware, no. 38. Standing, his body twisted ever so gently as he holds a ho-o bird or peacock to his chest, one hand supporting the majestic bird’s breast and the other placed gently on its tail feathers. He is dressed in a long voluminous robe with billowing sleeves which drape and fall elegantly over his frame. The mythical bird’s feathers are carefully incised and stained to show the variation in its plumage. Good himotoshi to the back, generously excavated and placed at angle. HEIGHT 10.6 cm Condition: Very good condition with minor surface wear and age cracks. Minuscule nibbling to edges and possibly a tiny chip to the edge of the bird’s wing. Provenance: Ex-collection W. L. Behrens (1861-1913). Ex-collection W. Lewis. Eskenazi, April 1986. 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. Baifuku (in Chinese Mei Fuh) was a Chinese governor of Nan Ch’ang (Nansho-no-Jo), who, disgusted with the corruption then prevailing, resigned his post in 14 B.C. and retired to mount Hiko, in Yunnan, where he penetrated the secrets of the genii, and having drunk of the elixir of everlasting life, returned to his native Show Ch’un. After a short while, some genii and a Lwan bird (peacock or phoenix) swooped down from the skies and carried him away to the Taoists paradise (H. L Joly, Legend in Japanese Art, p. 80). Literature comparison: Compare a closely related ivory netsuke of a foreigner with Chinese hat, with similar expression and headgear, in Joly, Henri L. (1912) The W. L. Behrens Collection, Part 1, Netsuke, no. 3301, illustrated on pl. XL. Auction comparison: This type of Lwan bird is rarely depicted in netsuke art and appears usually in combination with Dutchmen. Compare a related ivory netsuke of a Dutchman at Sotheby’s, Japanese Works of Art, 10 April 1997, London, lot 404. Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number FR2207508116-K).

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