marine ivory
Edo period (1615-1858), late 19th century
unsigned
high 9.1cm
Heavy 66.5g
Very good condition.
Provenance: European collection.
Shoki holding his sword, an oni (demon) lifted up by him. The demon-queller standing, ferociously pulling the of a large captured oni who falls back at his feet, his robe engraved with scattered scrolling foliage.
A dynamically crafted netsuke.The demon queller Shoki is shown on top of an oni, with his sword drawn, pressing him down and pushing his weight onto him. The oni is clenching his clawed limbs, though his attempts to struggle appear futile. The individual expressions are finely carved, the pupils minutely inlaid in dark horn. Shoki’s robe is adorned with various patterns and his finely incised beard is wild and flaming, flowing to his sides from the sheer force of his advance on the helpless demon. The marine ivory is finely stained and accentuated. Natural himotoshi and minutely incised in the back inside a wavy reserve.
The early examples of katabori netsuke were made from about 1630 to 1700. At this time Japanese carvers were strongly influenced by Chinese designs. Large numbers of important illustrated Chinese books reached Japan. The best known was the Sancai tuhui (Tripartite picture assembly), published in 1610. The illustrations of mythical people and fabulous beasts, such as the ChungKuel（shoki）, were of particular interest.
Reference：Netsuke Subjects P46（Cat No.74），By Karl M. Schwarz，Böhlau Verlag（Vienna），1992
Walrus tusk: Walrus have two large tusks (elongated canine teeth) projecting downward from the upper jaw. These tusks, often reaching two feet in length, have been extensively carved as ivory for centuries in many countries and especially in Japan. Walrus tusk carvings are usually easy to identify, because much of the interior of the tooth is filled with a mottled, almost translucent substance that is harder and more resistant to carving than the rest of the tooth.
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