43 - A FINE WOOD ‘SCHACHIHOKO’ BOKUTO (DOCTOR’S SWORD)

A FINE WOOD ‘SCHACHIHOKO’ BOKUTO (DOCTOR’S SWORD) Unsigned Japan, 18 th-19 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Boldly carved in the form of a dragonfish, its fierce expression defined by large, rounded eyes with horn-inlaid pupils and an upturned snout flanked by flowing whiskers, while the elongated body is finely incised with stylized wings and fins. The wood displaying an attractive grain and a fine, lustrous patina. LENGTH 42.6 cm Condition: Excellent condition, with only minor wear, small age cracks and few tiny nicks here and there. The shachihoko is a mythical creature combining the head of a dragon with the body of a carp and was traditionally believed to control water and protect buildings against fire. Best known as an architectural ornament placed on the roofs of Japanese castles, temples, and important structures, shachihoko were also occasionally represented in decorative arts. During the Edo period, following the establishment of peace under the Tokugawa shogunate, the practical need for carrying weapons diminished. Wooden sword substitutes known as bokuto became fashionable among physicians, artists, scholars, and other members of the professional classes as symbols of refinement and social status. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, these objects increasingly departed from the proportions and appearance of functional swords, evolving into highly imaginative works of decorative sculpture, often carved with auspicious, mythological, or natural subjects. Auction comparison: Compare a related wood bokuto depicting a Shachihoko, unsigned, 42.7 cm long, at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 7 November 2025, Vienna, lot 50 (sold for EUR 3,380).