Until 2nd May, 2025
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GYOKUIN: A SUPERB AND LARGE WOOD MASK NETSUKE OF A LAMENTING KARASU TENGU
LOT 508 - AK0124
By Gyokuin, signed Gyokuin 玉因
Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)
Published:
Brockhaus, Albert (1909) Netsuke. Versuch einer Geschichte der japanischen Schnitzkunst, p. 463, no. 889 (unillustrated).
Meinertzhagen, Frederick / Lazarnick, George (1986) MCI, Part A, p. 95 (unillustrated).
Wilhelm, Gabor (1992) Netsuke Kenkyukai Society Journal, vol. 12., no. 4, p. 37.
Masterfully carved, the tengu’s face set with a comically distraught expression. Its eyes, made of inlaid metal, looking woefully upwards beneath furrowed brows. Its beaked mouth is closed tightly, creating wrinkles around the edges, and its humanoid face has boy-like hair falling in strands to both sides. The nostrils are humorously carved with abnormally long nose hair. Pleasing to the touch, the smooth wood is finely polished and has a rich, unctuous patina. The central himotoshi bar to the back with the signature GYOKUIN – this appears to be the only recorded work by this artist.
HEIGHT 6.4 cm
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear. The back with an antique Japanese restoration to an old crack in the form of a metal staple.
Provenance: Ancient collection Albert Brockhaus (1855-1921), Leipzig. Kunsthandel Klefisch, Auction 50, September 1992, Cologne, lot 347. European collection P. Jacquesson, acquired from the above.
Tengu were considered the embodiment of powerful and usually malevolent spirits who, in Japanese folk beliefs, inhabit the woodlands of high mountains. There are two principal forms of tengu: the karasu tengu and konoha tengu. They are typically represented as having human bodies, wings, and sometimes talons in place of hands and feet. The karasu tengu has a birdlike head complete with a strong, sharp beak. The konoha tengu has a human face, distorted by an enormously long nose.
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