A group netsuke carved in dark-toned wood (likely stained or ebonized boxwood), depicting a wrestling match between two figures: an oni (a demon from Japanese folklore) and an articulated skeleton (gaikotsu), locked in what reads as a parody of a sumo bout. The oni is muscular, with wild, shaggy hair, horns and fangs inlaid in cream-toned ivory that stand out sharply against the dark wood, mouth open in a shout or snarl, and eyes likewise picked out with pale inlay. He wears a short loincloth carved with loose folds. His opponent is a skeleton with strongly emphasized bony anatomy, ribs and joints carved in relief as stacked rings (spine, knees, ankles), an elongated skull, and a hollow expression — a macabre-yet-comic motif much prized in the netsuke repertoire for its blend of dark humor and technical bravura. The two figures grip each other by the shoulders and arms in full wrestling tension, legs bent and feet firmly planted on an oval base. That base itself represents the dohyō (sumo ring): its surface is engraved with a sand/earth-like texture, and at its center sits an inlaid ivory disc simulating the ring itself. The underside of the base shows two notable features: a signature (mei) carved onto an inlaid ivory panel, with two kanji rendered in a cursive, abbreviated style (no reliable transcription or artist attribution can be offered from the photograph alone), and a circular himotoshi framed by a striking decorative ivory rim carved with small radiating segments — a refined detail suggesting a workshop piece of notable quality. Subject matter: the pairing of an oni and a skeleton in a sumo-wrestling pose is a relatively uncommon motif with strong narrative and humorous weight within the multi-figure netsuke genre, highly valued by collectors for the technical difficulty of carving two figures in active physical interaction within such a compact volume. 4,1 x 3,8 cm