A
tall and slender 18th century style netsuke; compact and tactile, well marked
with striations and layering, cream to gold in color with engraving and sumi,
lightly stained and polished to a high hand finish. Depicting a Sennin, a rustic
immortal of great age who lives in the wilderness, consuming only wild herbs and
magical elixirs. He wears a mugwort cape, the mugwort having great medicinal properties,
and carries a monkey, a capricious creature who has the power to subdue mischievous
spirits and to aid humans in overcoming illness or poverty brought by witches
and goblins. An auspicious and protective talisman. Himotoshi as two uneven holes
at the back; stands on its own. Sgnature next to himotoshi: Tomoyuki.
There
are several known netsukeshi by the name of Tomoyuki. In addition to the signature
the details of this piece confirm the attribution to Tomoyuki (1852-1934) who
worked in the style of the celebrated Takamura Koun.
