The
Noh theatre play Shakkyo describes how the Japanese Buddhist monk Jakusho Daishi
traveled to Mt. Tien Tai (Terrace of Heaven) in China, by the Shakkyo bridge he
saw the lions dancing. This popular play depicts actors performing a boisterous
dance with a white haired, and a red haired lion mask.
Dated
as early as 1764 to the Meiji era in the early 20th century, Hara Shugetshu is
one of the most important name in the history of netsuke. There were four generations
of famous Shugetshu(s), which made dating and authenticate of this netsuke a darning
task. Nevertheless, a similar wood netsuke of the same prototype by Hara Shugetshu
is currently in the collection of National Museum of Tokyo. Therefore, we believe
that the case for genuineness of this netsuke is best rest on the connoisseurship
of collectors
