| Antique
Japanese Whale Tooth Okimono
Fisherman
Ebisu
The Lucky God
Signed: Shibayama. Meiji, Circa: 1868-1911
H
4.25 in.(11cm.), W 2 in.(5cm.), D 1.5 in.(4cm.)
Condition: fish loss, o.a. good
A lively
carving of a fisherman holding the end of his gathered up bag, wearing a soft
hat and a robe decorated with bamboo and linear designs, carved from a large whale
tooth with a hollow bottom. While the front of the piece is uniform in color,
the back is heavily marked with swirling striations and color differences where
the layers meet. During the Meiji, carvers departed somewhat from traditional
subjects to satisfy a growing market in decorative arts. Many such works extolled
the virtues of ordinary life and illustrated Japanese themes for foreign export.
This carving is an example of the popular artwork that was created for the foreign
market. The fisherman is a rustic figure in a casual posture, wearing a benevolent
smile. 
Sold
To Private Collection
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