A boxwood netsuke of a ronin disguised as a peasant. 19th century - image-1
A boxwood netsuke of a ronin disguised as a peasant. 19th century - image-2
A boxwood netsuke of a ronin disguised as a peasant. 19th century - image-3
A boxwood netsuke of a ronin disguised as a peasant. 19th century - image-4
A boxwood netsuke of a ronin disguised as a peasant. 19th century - image-1A boxwood netsuke of a ronin disguised as a peasant. 19th century - image-2A boxwood netsuke of a ronin disguised as a peasant. 19th century - image-3A boxwood netsuke of a ronin disguised as a peasant. 19th century - image-4

Lot 403 Dα

A boxwood netsuke of a ronin disguised as a peasant. 19th century

Auction 1249 - overview Cologne
18.06.2024, 11:00 - Asian Art
Estimate: 2.200 € - 2.800 €
Result: 30.240 € (incl. premium)
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A boxwood netsuke of a ronin disguised as a peasant. 19th century

Lying in ambush on a straw mat, the whole body covered with a straw apron, a straw cape and a large hat, with both hands clutching a long sword. Extremely fine carving to the apron and cape including loose strands at the seam. The underside left uncarved.

A very similar netsuke described as "crouching in ambush" is in the British Museum and is attributed to Ogasawara Issai. The attribution is based on an illustration in the "Soken Kisho", which shows a prostrate ronin under a straw cloak drawing his sword on the page with several of ogasawara Issai's netsuke. Another very similar netsuke is housed in the Eremitage in Saint Petersburg.
Height 2.3 cm; length 6.5 cm

Provenance

Private collection, Southern Europe

Literature

Cf. an almost identical piece formerly in the collection of Charles A. Greendfield, solf at Sotheby's, New York, 18.9.1998, lot 14