AN IVORY NETSUKE OF SOTOBA KOMACHI

A fine, and for the subject, quite large study of the poetess Ono no Komachi seated on a gravepost (sotoba). Ono no Komachi was one of the Rokkasen, the six great poets of the 9th century. She is depicted here as an old woman, her beauty faded, with tattered clothes and holding a walking cane. Next to her is her characteristic large hat, worn and tattered, and a basket of fruit, which she has collected from bypassing travelers. The grain of the sotoba is achieved masterfully, as are the detailed robes and facial features – Komachi has several wrinkles and is exclaiming. The ivory bearing a beautiful patina and color. Himotoshi through the underside and through a ‘natural opening’ of the gravepost.

Category:
Netsuke
Subcategory:
-
Subject:
Mythological
Material:
Ivory
Age/Country:
19th Century
Artist:
-
Provenance/Owner:
Galerie Zacke
Signed:
unsigned
Type:
Katabori
Height:
42mm mm
Width:
53mm mm
Depth:
mm
ID number:

You'd also like