Death
and transformation, snakes and skulls with jointed arm and leg bones, intertwine
and entangle in this weighted early 20th century ivory netsuke. Two snakes slither.
Scaled with quick eyes and flashing tongues, they pour lusciously through gauged
eyes sockets. Each of the six skulls is powerfully conceived, and carved with
a certain emotional force. Be it laughing or crying, their gaping mouths, collectively
mock our illusions that death does not come knocking at every door. The jointed
bones that interlock through this morbid mound are candidly realistic, balls in
socket, bent and angled, a counterpoint to the serpentine meanders of the snakes.
Skull netsuke were particularly popular amongst Japanese Yakusa and gamblers.
The netsuke has two small but distinctive himotoshi open near the base. Signed
in grass script, the signature has not been translated. Carved with moist and
dense ivory, the netsuke is lightly worn, and aged beautifully in gold cream,
it remains in excellent condition.
