A fine ivory netsuke, full of movement and the ivory bearing a very appealing color, depicting the samurai warrior Sato Tadanobu, who lived during the late Heian period. According to legend he saved the life of Minamoto no Yoshitsune and was attacked while playing a game of go (adapted from the Chinese game Weiqi) and the only weapon he had to defend himself was the go board. He fought off numerous attackers and ultimately committed seppuku, a form of ritual suicide, before his attackers could reach him. In the present netsuke he is depicted holding the go board over his shoulder and clenching his free hand into a fist. His flowing robes are ornately decorated with various decorative patterns and quite unusually he has the three-clawed feet of an oni. Large and irregular himotoshi through the back and the signature hidden between his legs and robes MASATSUGU.

Category:

Netsuke

Subcategory:

-

Subject:

Mythological

Material:

Ivory

Age/Country:

19th Century

Artist:

Masatsugu

Provenance/Owner:

Galerie Zacke

Signed:

signed

Type:

Tall figural

Height:

50mm mm

Width:

mm

Depth:

mm

ID number: