A very rare netsuke depicting a mermaid (ningyo) armed with a sickle and lying on top of an awabi shell. The ningyo is depicted, as usual, with a naked female upper body, with finely crafted and subtle facial features, and the lower body as a long tail, like that of a fish. The structure of the awabi, with the characteristic openings on the side, is executed precisely. Interestingly, mermaids are known to have listened to the sea shells to hear the secrets of the sea, and the awabi is also known as an ear shell. The underside with beautiful honey-patina, large himotoshi and wonderful sensual structure of the smooth mollusk.

Category:

Netsuke

Subcategory:

-

Subject:

Mythological

Material:

Ivory

Age/Country:

18th Century

Artist:

-

Provenance/Owner:

Galerie Zacke

Signed:

unsigned

Type:

Katabori

Height:

26mm mm

Width:

46mm mm

Depth:

mm

ID number: