Antique
netsuke in cream colored Asian ivory, well marked, allover patina, engraving with
sumi. Very well carved depicting a versatile Noh actor/musician in performance.
Frequently in the Noh tradition a participant will take on many roles, providing
music or percussion along with portrayal of characters in the play. Here the actor,
his mouth open in song or recitation, wears a tanuki mask facing backward on his
head, no longer part of the play. About to reveal the shishi, he holds an open
fan over a length of knotted fabric which rests in the mouth of the shishi mask
he straddles, one foot on a drum which supports a large whisk, another prop in
the performance. Meticulous engraving of details, including a landscape scene
on the open fan. All is accomplished with mastery and polished to a high hand
finish. Himotoshi on the bottom, strong signature on the underside of the shishi’s
jaw: Rensai. Attributed to Rensai III.
