An unusual and fine netsuke depicting a monkey wearing a lion mask, used for the Shishimai festival dance, while beating the drum before him with a mallet. The Shishimai festival was imported from China during the Tang dynasty and is celebrated during the New Year to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. The jaw of the lion mask is hinged with a metal wire and the eyes are double inlaid in ivory and black horn. Amazingly, the face of the monkey is carved inside the mask, and the eyes, as well, are inlaid in dark horn. The fur and paws of the monkey are finely carved, and the signature is found in a rounded reserve on one of the buttocks reading TOMOKAZU. Kano Tomokazu from Gifu opened a school in Kyoto during the latter half of the 19th century, and most likely this fine carving originates from this school.

Category:

-

Subcategory:

-

Subject:

Animal

Material:

Ivory

Age/Country:

19th Century

Artist:

Tomokazu

Provenance/Owner:

Galerie Zacke

Signed:

signed

Type:

Katabori

Height:

32mm mm

Width:

mm

Depth:

mm

ID number: