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Japanese Elephant Ivory Okimono
Father
and Sons
Catching New Year Basket
Signature: unsigned. Circa: Meiji, early 20th Century
H 7.75 in.(19.5cm), W 2.5in.(6.5cm), D 2.5 in.(6.5cm)
Condition: crack line on base, o.a. very good A
large and complex family group okimono dating from the Meiji period; well carved
from one piece of the mid-section of a tusk, cream colored ivory depicting the
prosperous rural life achieved during a time of economic growth. Meiji period
art and carvings were made in great numbers for export, with themes of Japanese
traditions and daily life popularly traded. Here a man and his two sons stand
together in a rocky landscape, the father holding a basket of fruit on a long
rope, the two boys standing beneath him, one holding a bird. Engraved with hair
lines and patterned with geometric, floral and feather motifs. Strongly marked
with graining and showing a patina of age in golden tones on the man’s head and
washing over the back of the piece. Despite its age, with a thin hair line crack
on the base, overall the tusk is in meticulous condition.
Private
Collection
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