An ivory okimono of blind men on a shell. Late 19th century - image-1
An ivory okimono of blind men on a shell. Late 19th century - image-2
An ivory okimono of blind men on a shell. Late 19th century - image-3
An ivory okimono of blind men on a shell. Late 19th century - image-4
An ivory okimono of blind men on a shell. Late 19th century - image-5
An ivory okimono of blind men on a shell. Late 19th century - image-6
An ivory okimono of blind men on a shell. Late 19th century - image-1An ivory okimono of blind men on a shell. Late 19th century - image-2An ivory okimono of blind men on a shell. Late 19th century - image-3An ivory okimono of blind men on a shell. Late 19th century - image-4An ivory okimono of blind men on a shell. Late 19th century - image-5An ivory okimono of blind men on a shell. Late 19th century - image-6

Lot 496 D‡α

An ivory okimono of blind men on a shell. Late 19th century

Auction 1157 - overview Cologne
27.06.2020, 11:00 - Asian Art
Estimate: 450 € - 550 €
Result: 500 € (incl. premium)
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An ivory okimono of blind men on a shell. Late 19th century

Men clambering over a large, flat-based shell with three, all in kimono, peering out of the large opening, two of whom are waving fans. Very finely carved, engraved and lightly stained. A leaf branch finely engraved on the flat base. Signed Gyokuho.
Length 5 cm

The scene is strongly reminiscent of the blind men climbing on and touching the elephant. As each blind man describes what he touches at that moment, the result is a variety of subjective statements about one and the same thing.

Provenance

Estate of Albert Brockhaus (1855 – 1921)

Literature

Cf. Reikichi, p. 224 which lists a carver with this name from the Yamada school, active in the last third 19th century