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Fine Antique Japanese
Okimono Wandering
Samurai
Catch of The Day
Signature: Yoshi, Meiji, 19th Century Recorded
in Catalogue of the W.L. Berhrens Collection, Henry L. Joly, London, 1922
h. 4.25 in.(11cm), w. 1.75 in.(4.5cm),
d. 1.25 in.(3cm) Condition: minor chip,
cracklines
A fine
Meiji carving expressing the pathos of a wandering Samurai, deprived of his calling,
who wearily carries home a day’s catch, still holding his great sword, its use
reduced to that of a fastener for his net. A Samurai’s sword represented his soul,
therefore the Samurai were most displeased when they were forbidden from carrying
their weapons in 1876, for the dissolution of feudal Japan left behind the extravagant
panoply of the warrior class. Naturalistically carved and finished with a high
hand polish, the work is distinguished by the excellent treatment of fabric which
wraps convincingly around the body of the man, highlighting the rough strings
of the net and the carefully rendered Samurai coiffure. Private Collection |