44 - Ɏ A VERY RARE IVORY NETSUKE OF TWO KUMOSUKE (TOKAIDO ROAD PORTERS)

Ɏ A VERY RARE IVORY NETSUKE OF TWO KUMOSUKE (TOKAIDO ROAD PORTERS) Unsigned Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Amusingly carved as two stout Tokaido road porters striding closely side by side, their bodies leaning companionably together as they break into a lively dance, fists swinging with animated movement. Their jovial faces are sensitively modeled with plump cheeks, narrowed eyes, and broad smiles. Both wear short open jackets exposing their rounded bellies, loose breeches, and cloth mantles falling in deeply carved folds over their backs, while their broad woven hats are finely incised with radiating lines. Good himotoshi to the back. HEIGHT 5.8 cm Provenance: Ex-collection René Vassal. François de Ricqlès, Paris, 13 April 1994. French private collection, acquired from the above. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and expected age cracks. Kumosuke were porters employed along the great highways of Edo-period Japan, particularly the Tokaido connecting Edo with Kyoto. Carrying luggage and travelers in palanquins, they became familiar figures of life on the road and were known for their physical strength and boisterous character. The subject is rare in netsuke, and depictions of two kumosuke together are rarer still, with only one other recorded example known to the present author. Literature comparison: Compare the only other recorded ivory netsuke depicting two kumosuke together, unsigned and dated to the 18th century, 4.8 cm high, formerly in the Gabor Wilhelm Collection and illustrated in Netsuke That Never Left Japan, Sagemonoya, 2001, no. 40. Auction comparison: Compare a related ivory netsuke of a single kumosuke, 7.4 cm high, at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 25 September 2020, Vienna, lot 25 (sold for EUR 10,112 or approximately EUR 13,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number FR2607505243-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.