Ɏ HIDEMASA: A SUPERB AND LARGE IVORY NETSUKE OF THE BAKEMONO MIKOSHI NYUDO

Ɏ HIDEMASA: A SUPERB AND LARGE IVORY NETSUKE OF THE BAKEMONO MIKOSHI NYUDO By Hidemasa I, signed Hidemasa 秀正 Japan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) The long-necked ghastly figure emerging from and towering over a streetlamp, evoking the imagery of night, its boney hands hanging over the roof of the lantern, its large bald head incised with sparse hair and detailed with protruding eyes set in a hollowed face, grinning a wide toothy grin, all flanked by large ears with pendulous lobes. The yokai ghost is dressed in a robe tied at the waist, hanging loosely on its frame with draping sleeves and revealing the emaciated chest underneath. Asymmetrical himotoshi to the back and signed to the base in cursive characters HIDEMASA. The ivory is superbly stained, as is typical for this master carver who had many followers. HEIGHT 10.3 cm Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, a small age crack to one sleeve. Mikoshi Nyudo is one of the many ghostly monsters of Japan that are generally known as bakemono or yokai. This monster is usually portrayed with a bald head and a jutting tongue. Although there are many variations of this ghost story across the different regions of Japan, the plots are roughly similar. Essentially, when a person is walking alone at night, the form of a monk suddenly appears. The ghost grows taller every time the person looks up at it and gazing at it for too long invariably results in death. The word Mikoshi 見越し means to "look over" or "tower over" and the word Nyudo 入道 is a common slang name for a priest. Literature comparison: Compare a related large ivory netsuke of Shoki and oni, signed Hidemasa and attributed to Hidemasa I, illustrated in Barry Davies Oriental Art (1990) Netsuke Classics, no. 46. Museum comparison: This rare signature variant, written in cursive sosho characters, is connected with one other larger piece, by Hidemasa, in the collection of the British Museum, museum number F.602. Compare a related wood netsuke of Mikoshi Nyudo in the British Museum, museum number 1912,1012.2. Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number FR2305400016-K). 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.