Antique Japanese Ivory Netsuke
Hotei
Drinking w. Karako
Netsuke Signature: unsigned, circa: 19th Century
H 1.25 in.(3cm.), W 1.5 in.(4cm), D 1 in.(2.5cm)
Condition: usage worn, o.a. good

Sold to Private Collection

During the second half of the 18th century, the realism of western art brought over by the Dutch began to influence netsuke carvers and Japanese art in general, particularly in the Kyoto region, where the art of netsuke carving was an established industry. Taking his cues from those around him, the carver of this unsigned piece demonstrates the obsessive detail work that characterized the region: The folds and tied bows of the children’s clothes, the crouched contours of their bending bodies, and the depth of expression within the tiny space of the polished ivory. The ever beaming Hotei is flanked and assisted by two spirited karako, the kneeling child reaching down to pet the minogame while the standing child pours the master’s cup full of sake. Hotei smiles. An excellently carved 19th century piece in near perfect condition.