38 - NAGASHIGE: A RARE AND LARGE BAMBOO ‘KIYOHIME AT THE HIDAKA RIVER’ KISERUZUTSU

NAGASHIGE: A RARE AND LARGE BAMBOO ‘KIYOHIME AT THE HIDAKA RIVER’ KISERUZUTSU Nagashige, signed Nagashige 長重 Japan, late 19 th century Of senryu-zutsu form, skillfully carved with a highly unusual and dramatic rendition of Kiyohime in the midst of her transformation into a serpent, her youthful face framed by long, flowing hair and merging seamlessly into an immense scaly body that coils sinuously across the length of the case. The serpent writhes amid swirling clouds and scattered cherry blossoms, while stylized waves below evoke the Hidaka River, where Kiyohime assumed her serpentine form while pursuing the monk Anchin. One side fitted with a large carved bone cord attachment. Signed above in seal script NAGASHIGE. LENGTH 25.6 cm Provenance: Ex-collection Frank Lapisch, Kassel, Germany. Frank Lapisch (1934-2002) was a German entrepreneur and dedicated netsuke collector who first traveled to Japan in 1960 as a German judo champion. He later founded the Tokyo-based electronics firm Alltec in 1972 while deepening his engagement with Japanese art and craftsmanship. From the late 1970s onward, he pursued the study and acquisition of netsuke with increasing discernment, carefully documenting purchases made at auction houses such as Lempertz and Klefisch. He showed a particular preference for early ‘ur-netsuke,’ prized for their expressive carving and richly developed, glossy wear patina. Condition: Good condition with expected wear, minor imperfections, and age cracks. One larger crack restored near the bottom. The subject derives from the celebrated legend of Anchin and Kiyohime. Consumed by jealousy after the monk Anchin rejected and fled from her, Kiyohime pursued him to the Hidaka River, where her passion transformed her into a great serpent. She ultimately followed him to Dojoji temple, where Anchin sought refuge beneath the temple bell. The image of Kiyohime with a woman’s head and flowing hair joined to a vast serpentine body became one of the most dramatic visualizations of the legend in nineteenth-century Japanese art.