Ɏ A FINE IVORY NETSUKE OF ROSHI ATOP AN OX

Ɏ A FINE IVORY NETSUKE OF ROSHI ATOP AN OX Unsigned Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) The ox meekly standing foursquare, its nose pierced and roped, controlled by Roshi seated atop the cattle holding on to the incised rope. The old master clad in a voluminous robe with billowing sleeves, his face carved with a flowing beard, his hair tied into a topknot. The animal with its head bowed, its tail and fur finely detailed, all supported on thick, strong hooves. The ivory bearing an attractive patina and the large himotoshi found to the back and under the ox. HEIGHT 6.5 cm Condition: Good condition with minor wear, few natural age cracks, and a minor repair to the section of rope between Roshi’s two hands. Provenance: Collection Gabor Orszagh, Budapest, Hungary. Roshi, the ancient philosopher, the venerable Prince, is the founder of the Taoist system of philosophy. According to legend, Roshi’s mother conceived at the sight of a falling star and carried Roshi for eighty-one years in her body. He was born with a grey beard, with a white and yellow face. He had large eyes, fine eyebrows, ragged teeth in a square mouth, a double ridge to his nose, ten toes on each foot, and ten lines in each hand, and his enormous ears had three passages each. Artistic representations, however, do not adhere to this depiction and Roshi is usually shown as an old Chinese man, seated upon an ox on which he is miraculously carried to paradise. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related ivory netsuke, depicting Laotse seated on a bullock, illustrated in Lazarnick, George (1981) Netsuke & Inro Artists, and How to Read Their Signatures (LNIA), Vol. 1, p. 84. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related ivory netsuke of Roshi on an ox, at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 3 November 2023, Vienna, lot 105 (sold for EUR 5,200). This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.