| Antique
Japanese Stag Antler Netsuke
Karako
Listening
to Seashell
Sigature: unsigned, Circa: early 19th Century
H
1.25in.(3cm), W 1.25in.(3cm),
D .75in.(2cm)
Condition: Very Good, pigment loss A
karako--a Chinese boy carved from a section of stag antler, rich coloration of
cream to gold with red tones and age patina, glossy burnished finish. Very well
carved karako, depicted seated wearing a simple robe gathered in a bow beneath
the haragake bib. Fine engraving for the features, with a lively expression and
natural posture. Himotoshi on the back, two equally sized holes.
| 
Private Collection | The
Chinese boy in Japanese art appears in works from the 17th Century on in ceramics,
painting, printmaking and sculpture. It was a popular subject of gosho-ningyo,
Japanese doll making, early in the Edo period. Gosho-ningyō dolls depict young
boys between three and five years old, their heads large and round, their facial
features usually small, and their bodies corpulent and healthy, doing what children
do - playing. Since among the sculptors of the dolls were famous busshi of Edo,
it is certain that trends and motifs were cross-fertilized among the various artists
and craftsmen, including netsukeshi, during this unprecedented productive period.
One type of doll, the saga-ningyo, or Buddhist doll, is often seen holding attributes
of Buddhist practice, as does this karako, seen with one hand on the tortoise,
a symbol of strength and long life, the other holding a shell to his ear.
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