46 - Ɏ AN IMPRESSIVELY LARGE AND POWERFUL IVORY NETSUKE OF SHOKI SUBDUING AN ONI, EX BEHRENS COLLECTION

Ɏ AN IMPRESSIVELY LARGE AND POWERFUL IVORY NETSUKE OF SHOKI SUBDUING AN ONI, EX BEHRENS COLLECTION Unsigned Japan, late 17 th to early 18 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Published: Joly, Henri L. (1912) The W. L. Behrens Collection, Part 1, Netsuke, no. 3217, illustrated on pl. XXXLX. Boldly carved in the powerful manner of early sankaku (triangular) netsuke, depicting the demon queller Shoki seated triumphantly upon a subdued oni. Shoki reaches one hand behind his head while the other grips the hilt of his long sword, its blade extending emphatically across the composition. His ferocious expression is rendered with tremendous vigor, with sharply arched brows, glaring eyes, flaring nostrils, and an open mouth revealing individually carved teeth, the face framed by a finely incised beard and hair gathered into a high topknot. He wears voluminous robes beneath elaborately detailed lamellar armor, the broad folds and deeply cut surfaces enhancing the monumentality of the carving. Beneath him, the terrified oni is violently compressed upside down, its head forced to the ground between its hands, the face contorted with bulging eyes and bared fangs. Generously excavated, asymmetrical himotoshi to the back. The ivory bearing a superb, deep patina. HEIGHT 8.5 cm, WIDTH 6 cm Provenance: Ex-collection W. L. Behrens (1861-1913). Thereafter in a noted French private collection. Walter Lionel Behrens (1861-1913) was a German-born banker and philanthropist who became one of the most prominent European collectors of Japanese art at the turn of the 20th century. Based in London, he assembled a vast and distinguished collection that included lacquer, ceramics, and especially netsuke, which he pursued with scholarly rigor and connoisseurship. His collection was widely admired by contemporaries and frequently consulted by leading scholars of Japanese art. After his death, much of it entered major public institutions, ensuring Behrens’ enduring influence in the field. Condition: Very good condition with old wear and expected age cracks. The present netsuke belongs to that rare group of early carvings whose sheer scale, physicality, and sculptural force transcend the conventional notion of netsuke as miniature art. The portrayal of Shoki is itself highly unusual, the demon queller shown in elaborate armor and with an almost martial, heroic presence rather than in the more familiar scholarly or robed guise; combined with the massive triangular composition and vigorous modeling, this gives the carving the bold, uncompromising energy particularly associated with the kind of early netsuke admired and championed by Joe Kurstin (see literature comparison). Literature comparison: Compare a related early ivory netsuke of Shoki and an oni, likewise unsigned, dated 17th-early 18th century and measuring an imposing 10.5 cm high, illustrated in Kurstin, Joe (1999), Masterworks of Netsuke and Other Japanese Miniature Art from American Collections, p. 17, no. 1. While differing in composition, the comparison is particularly apt for its similarly monumental scale, extraordinary vigor, and powerful sculptural presence. Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number IT/CE/2024/MI/00305). 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.