Ashinaga (long legs) and Tenaga (long arms) are depicted here as fishermen, with the latter holding a well-carved seabream in his left hand. Their faces are carved sensitively, the pair is visibly pleased with their catch. They are both wearing mugwort loincloths and Ashinaga is holding a double gourd (hyotan) with the elixir of life in his hand – both typical attributes of Sennin, though the pair are not traditionally viewed as such, but rather as Yokai from the southern islands. The present netsuke depicts them as immortals. Another particularity of the netsuke is the material that has been used, which is an unusually large section of a hippo tooth – a very rare material which had to be imported. The color of the material is beautiful, glossy and very pleasing to the eye, while the surface is highly polished. Natural himotoshi are possible, however the carving is more of a netsuke-okimono.

Category:

Netsuke

Subcategory:

-

Subject:

Mythological Figural

Material:

Hippo tooth

Age/Country:

19th Century

Artist:

-

Provenance/Owner:

Galerie Zacke

Signed:

unsigned

Type:

Tall figural

Height:

95mm mm

Width:

mm

Depth:

mm

ID number: