A wood netsuke of an oni washing himself. 19th century - image-1
A wood netsuke of an oni washing himself. 19th century - image-2
A wood netsuke of an oni washing himself. 19th century - image-1A wood netsuke of an oni washing himself. 19th century - image-2

Lot 316 Dα

A wood netsuke of an oni washing himself. 19th century

Auction 1190 - overview Cologne
11.12.2021, 11:00 - Asian Art
Estimate: 700 € - 1.000 €
Result: 1.125 € (incl. premium)
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A wood netsuke of an oni washing himself. 19th century

The totally naked demon sits of the edge of a shallow tub, his feet in the water and scrubbing his back with a towel. The eyes double inlaid.
Height 3.6 cm

The subject is known as "oni gyozui", a popular theme of printed and painted otsu-e. They are usually accompanied by moralizing and didactic poems like "Even a goblin can become a Buddha if he washes away the stains of his soul", or "He who only washes his skin remains unwashed if he does not cleanse his mind as well".

Provenance

Private collection, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, acquired at Lempertz, Cologne, 8./9. 6.1982, lot 555