By a member of the Masanao family, signed Masanao正直
Japan, Yamada, Ise province, second half of 19th century

Finely carved as a Daruma doll, shown almost completely enveloped in his voluminous robe, his face with a disgruntled expression, the eyes inlaid in dark wood below bushy brows, flanked by two pendulous earlobes, and the cheeks finely stippled with a stubble. Himotoshi through the back and signed MASANAO to the concave base. An attractive model, of simplistic nature, ideally shaped, and beautifully polished.

HEIGHT 3.7 cm

Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and light scratches.
Provenance: Christie’s London, 4 November 2009, lot 133. From the private collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, New York. A collector’s number ‘268’ at the back of the head. Alan Hartman (1930-2023) was an influential American art dealer, who took over his parents’ antique business in Manhattan and established the legendary Rare Art Gallery on Madison Avenue, with further locations in Dallas and Palm Beach. His wife Simone (née Horowitz) already served as assistant manager of the New York gallery before the couple were married in 1975, and together they built a renowned collection for over half a century and became noted art patrons, enriching the collections of important museums including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (which opened the Alan and Simone Hartman Galleries in 2013) as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Brooklyn Museum in New York. Notably, they assembled an impressive collection of Japanese art, focusing on fine netsuke, inro, and lacquer.

A Daruma doll is a round, traditional doll modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen tradition of Buddhism. Though considered a toy by some, Daruma has a design that is rich in symbolism and is regarded more as a talisman of good luck to the Japanese.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related wood netsuke of a Daruma doll, signed Masanao, illustrated in Ducros, Alain (1987) Netsuke & Sagemono 2, p. 65.