Netsuke woodbox oni and skeleton - Japan - Edo Period (1600-1868)
Starting bid
€ 1
Add to your favourites to get an alert when the auction starts.
Expert
Selected by Giovanni Bottero
Holds a master’s in Japanese art history with over 10 years’ expertise in Asian art.
Estimate € 2,000 - € 2,500
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 139958 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
Description from the seller
Boxwood Netsuke: Oni Resting on a Mochi-Pounding Mortar (usu and kine)
A boxwood (tsuge) netsuke with toasted grain tones and darkened shading that enhances the volume, depicting an oni (a demon from Japanese folklore) at rest, leaning against a wooden mortar (usu) with its pestle (kine) still planted at the center.
The figure carries the classic attributes of an oni: two short horns on the forehead, a fierce face with heavy brows and a scowling gaze, a half-open mouth with fangs showing, pointed ears, and a shaggy mane framing the face. He wears the traditional tiger-skin loincloth (torafu), here rendered through crosshatched diagonal striping carved across the whole body — torso, arms, and legs — imitating the striped coat of the tiger, a standard iconographic attribute of the oni in Japanese popular imagery (linked to the kimon, the "demon's gate" direction).
The mortar he leans on, with its pestle inserted, is the traditional tool for making mochi (usu and kine), and here it works both as a compositional device — the oni resting his arms on it after the task — and as a humorous touch: the image of a demon performing such a mundane domestic chore was a common device in genre netsuke, used to comically defuse the ferocity of these creatures. The stump/mortar retains a carved bark texture on its outer surface, with a small crescent-shaped mark, and the pestle bears an incised square stamp, possibly a maker's or ownership mark.
4,3 x 2,6 cm
Seller's Story
At Supein Nihonto, we strive to offer you authentic samurai pieces of the highest quality at prices well below the competition through an addictive passion and constant effort. Our goal is to provide samurai weapons and armor for nearly every budget with an unbeatable quality/price ratio. With frequent trips to Japan, a significant daily effort, and a good reputation among Japan's most important distributors that allows us to visit places where most Europeans are forbidden to go, we can get the best of both worlds: fast delivery, genuine and premium items, and prices that can only be found through a great reputation within the industry and with Japanese suppliers and close friends.
Translated by Google TranslateBoxwood Netsuke: Oni Resting on a Mochi-Pounding Mortar (usu and kine)
A boxwood (tsuge) netsuke with toasted grain tones and darkened shading that enhances the volume, depicting an oni (a demon from Japanese folklore) at rest, leaning against a wooden mortar (usu) with its pestle (kine) still planted at the center.
The figure carries the classic attributes of an oni: two short horns on the forehead, a fierce face with heavy brows and a scowling gaze, a half-open mouth with fangs showing, pointed ears, and a shaggy mane framing the face. He wears the traditional tiger-skin loincloth (torafu), here rendered through crosshatched diagonal striping carved across the whole body — torso, arms, and legs — imitating the striped coat of the tiger, a standard iconographic attribute of the oni in Japanese popular imagery (linked to the kimon, the "demon's gate" direction).
The mortar he leans on, with its pestle inserted, is the traditional tool for making mochi (usu and kine), and here it works both as a compositional device — the oni resting his arms on it after the task — and as a humorous touch: the image of a demon performing such a mundane domestic chore was a common device in genre netsuke, used to comically defuse the ferocity of these creatures. The stump/mortar retains a carved bark texture on its outer surface, with a small crescent-shaped mark, and the pestle bears an incised square stamp, possibly a maker's or ownership mark.
4,3 x 2,6 cm
Seller's Story
At Supein Nihonto, we strive to offer you authentic samurai pieces of the highest quality at prices well below the competition through an addictive passion and constant effort. Our goal is to provide samurai weapons and armor for nearly every budget with an unbeatable quality/price ratio. With frequent trips to Japan, a significant daily effort, and a good reputation among Japan's most important distributors that allows us to visit places where most Europeans are forbidden to go, we can get the best of both worlds: fast delivery, genuine and premium items, and prices that can only be found through a great reputation within the industry and with Japanese suppliers and close friends.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Dynastic Style/Period
Edo Period (1600-1868)
Country of Origin
Japan
Material
Netsuke woodbox oni and skeleton
Sold with stand
No
Condition
Good condition
Height
4 cm
Width
3 cm
Depth
3 cm
Authenticity
Original/official
