Until 1st Jan, 2024
Buy it now
Ɏ OKAKOTO: AN IMPRESSIVE AND LARGE IVORY NETSUKE OF A TARTAR ARCHER
LOT 123 - NE1123
By Yamaguchi Okakoto, signed Okakoto 岡言
Japan, Kyoto, late 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)
Published & Exhibited: Association Franco-Japonaise, Netsuke Sagemono, Paris, 2019, p. 66, no. 110.
A dramatic representation of a Tartar archer dynamically swinging his bow back, his loose sleeve swinging upwards as a result, and readying two arrows as he eyes an enemy in the distance. His detailed robe is beautifully carved and engraved with various sumi-stained patterns, the buttons of his coat are inlaid in dark horn, as are the eyes and finial of his quadrilobed hat. The archer has a grim expression with a wild windswept beard, reminiscent of the demon queller Shoki. The superbly carved backside, which is unusually thick and appealingly rounded, shows the kirin-form quiver with neatly incised scales and head, and the beautifully excavated, asymmetrical himotoshi next to the signature within a rectangular reserve OKAKOTO. The ivory bearing a deep-yellow patina, particularly to the back.
HEIGHT 8.2 cm
Condition: Very good condition, few natural age cracks and typical wear.
Provenance: Jan Lühl Antiques, Paris, April 1991. Ex-collection Guy de Lasteyrie, acquired from the above. De Lasteyrie is a member of the Lasteyrie du Saillant family and is considered among the leading French collectors of netsuke.
Yamaguchi Okakoto was a pupil and younger brother of Yamaguchi Okatomo. His work is considerably rarer than those of other members of the Oka school. While this is a known subject by Okakoto (Fuld's Netsuke and Ojime Index lists five examples) this appears to be the largest and finest model of this group, possessing remarkable sculptural quality and boldness in the execution.
Auction comparison:
Compare a closely related, yet smaller (6.8 cm), ivory netsuke of a Tartar archer by Okakoto at Christie’s, Japanese Art & Design, 12 May 2010, London, lot 1 (sold for GBP 10,625).
Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number FR2207506631-K).
Natural Light Images for Logged-in Users Only
You can find images of this item taken under natural daylight below. Click on an image to zoom in or save.
If there are no natural light images for this item, please email us at office@zacke.at or use the request form below.
Log in or sign up to view the natural light images.
Click here to request more information on this lot.
How to Buy Online
You must log in or create an online account in order to buy items from the shop.
Click the red 'Buy it Now' button to buy this item. You will then be able to download your invoice and receive instructions about how to pay. Prices include Buyer's Premium.
If you would like to buy multiple items at the same time, add the items you want to your cart. You will then be able to check out with multiple items simultaneously.
Items in your cart are not reserved. Please complete the purchase process promptly to secure the items.
How to Buy Offline
If you would like to buy one of these items outside of the online shop, please contact us at office@zacke.at or +43 (1) 532 04 52.
Our Terms and Conditions
As part of our ongoing efforts to keep our auctions fair and transparent, we encourage you to read our terms and conditions thoroughly. We urge you to read through §34-50) to ensure you understand them. These terms are specifically designed to protect all serious and committed buyers from bidding against non-payers who attempt to inflate prices without the intent of paying their auction bills.
For further reading about non-payers at auction, go here: https://www.zacke.at/aboutnonpayers/.
The main points include the following:
- Bidders must complete their due diligence and clarify all questions about the objects before the auction. After the auction, Zacke will not answer questions from bidders unless the purchase price has been paid in full. Of course, this does not apply to questions concerning shipping, insurance, customs, etc.
- A sale cancellation of any kind after the fall of the hammer is not possible. The only exception to this fundamental rule is our guarantee of authenticity [the Guarantee].
- A Guarantee Claim, however, can only be raised after the purchase price has been paid in full by the buyer and within 45 days after the auction day.
If you have any questions about our policies, please get in touch with us at office@zacke.at.
By placing a bid, you agree to our Terms of Auction and Terms and Conditions.
