45 - Ɏ A RARE TALL IVORY NETSUKE OF A CALENDAR SELLER (KOYOMI-URI)

Ɏ A RARE TALL IVORY NETSUKE OF A CALENDAR SELLER (KOYOMI-URI) Unsigned Japan, 18 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved standing with a mischievous expression, carrying a bundle tied across his shoulders and wearing his robe hitched up and tucked into the belt at the back. In his right hand he holds a cord strung with coins, while in his left he carries a tablet inscribed with numbers arranged in two columns, recording the long and short months of a daisho-reki calendar. Suspended from his belt behind is a small booklet inscribed daikyoshi, possibly referring to a local calendar. The sequence of long and short months recorded on the tablet corresponds to the years 1706, 1715, and 1768. Large asymmetrical himotoshi pierce the back, the ivory bearing a superb, lustrous patina. HEIGHT 9.3 cm Provenance: Ex-collection Frank Lapisch. 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 old wear, expected age cracks, the right foot with an old chip. The present netsuke depicts the exceptionally rare subject of a koyomi-uri, or calendar seller. Such vendors were familiar figures around the Japanese New Year, when calendars for the coming year were distributed and sold, yet they are seldom represented in netsuke. The tablet records a daisho-reki, indicating the sequence of thirty-day ‘large’ months and twenty-nine-day ‘small’ months under Japan’s lunisolar calendar. The particular arrangement shown here corresponds to 1706, 1715, and 1768, with the latter the most plausible date on stylistic grounds. This provides an unusually precise chronological anchor for an unsigned 18th-century netsuke. Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number DE-K-260427-158). 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.