| Antique
Japanese Antler Sagemono Two
Samurai
Kiseruzutsu / Pipe Case
Signature: unsigned, 19th Century
H 9 in.(22cm), W 1 in.(2.5cm), D 1 in.(2.5cm)
Condition: minor imperfection The
kiseruzutsu was made to hold a long stemmed pipe along with a tonkotsu or tabako-ire.
Like the inro or netsuke, it is suspended by a silk cord or tucked halfway inside
an obi. They were the jewels of gentlemen commonly in use from the Tokugawa to
the Meiji period. Concurrent with netsuke, their popularity gradually declined
around the early Showa era. As shown in this stag antler pipe case of later time,
which features an exquisite relief of two samurai deeply incised in bold strokes,
one with a fan and the other a map in hand. In spite of a minor spongy antler
fragmentation around the base, the sagemono is in very good condition.
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