Antique
Japanese Skull Netsuke Monk
Contemplating
The First Noble Truth
Netsuke Signature: Juzan, (Ishikawa Komei)
Tokyo, 19th Century, circa: 1852-1913
Recorded
in: 1) Netsuke, A Comprehensive Study Based on the M.T. Hindson Collection
by Neil K. Davey, #974, 2) Netsuke Handbook by Ueda Reikichi #418
Condition:
excellent
In
this carving by Ishiwara Komei, (also known by his go as Mitsuaki and Hoyusai
) the blind monk, aged and with failing senses, examines death now by actual touch
rather than by youthful speculation, and while he is close to annihilation, he
raises high his mala with a smile, showing his faith in the essential power of
the Truth that transcends life and death. |
Private Collection |
Born in 1852, Komei,
after a period as a painter, learned carving from Masamitsu Kikugawa, a member
of a family of carvers in Tokyo. Masamitsu made netsuke until the advent of foreign
trade through Yokohama, when he began to produce only okimono for export. Ishikawa
Komei was Masumitsu’s most famous student, whose remarkable technique made him
the most acclaimed ivory carver of the Meiji period, not only for the subtlety
and conviction of his carving, but for his ability to express profound thought
through modest means. This
netsuke is a superb example of the fabled skill of Komei. The weary yet happy
face of the monk, the grisly skull with its missing tooth, and especially the
hand, which doesn’t rest on the surface of the skull, but is held touching it
tentatively with fingertips, as if to find out what it really is; these subtle
details comprise an outstanding work by a known master of netsuke. |
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