55 - A SUPERB WOOD NETSUKE OF A RONIN LYING IN WAIT, ATTRIBUTED TO OGASAWARA ISSAI

A SUPERB WOOD NETSUKE OF A RONIN LYING IN WAIT, ATTRIBUTED TO OGASAWARA ISSAI Attributed to Ogasawara Issai, unsigned Japan, Wakayama, Kii Province, mid-late 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Superbly carved as a ronin crouching low in concealment, his body almost entirely enveloped by a voluminous straw raincoat (mino) and broad kasa hat. The compact composition is charged with tension: beneath the sweeping brim, the warrior’s face is sharply focused and alert, while both hands close firmly around the long sword at his side, poised to draw at an instant. The deeply layered strands of the mino are rendered with vigorous, finely incised strokes. The folds and projecting edges are boldly undercut, creating a striking play of light and shadow and emphasizing the sense of compressed movement. The underside is equally carefully finished with attractively hollowed asymmetrical himotoshi. LENGTH 4.9 cm Provenance: Old French Collection Jules Cherki. Tessier & Sarrou et Associés, Paris, 14 June 2021, lot 32 (sold for EUR 11,776 or approx. EUR 14,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). French private collection, acquired from the above. Condition: Restorations to the edge of the hat and to the edge of the straw coat at the back. Presenting beautifully. The revenge of the forty-seven ronin is an 18th-century historical event in Japan in which a band of ronin (leaderless samurai) avenged the death of their master. The incident has since become legendary. The story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless after their daimyo (feudal lord) Asano Naganori was compelled to perform seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira Yoshinaka, whose title was Kozuke no suke. After waiting and planning for a year, the ronin avenged their master’s honor by killing Kira on the night of December 14 th, in the year of 1702. They were then obliged to commit seppuku for the crime of murder. This true story was popularized in Japanese culture as emblematic of the loyalty, sacrifice, persistence, and honor that people should display in their daily lives. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related wood netsuke of a ronin lying in wait, also unsigned and attributed to Ogasawara Issai, 5.4 cm long, illustrated in Barker & Smith (1976) Netsuke: The Miniature Sculpture of Japan, p. 116, no. 222. Museum comparison: Compare a related narwhal tusk netsuke of a ronin lying in wait, also unsigned and attributed to Ogasawara Issai, 5.6 cm long, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, reference number M.91.250.289. Auction comparison: Compare a related wood netsuke of a ronin disguised as a peasant, unsigned, 6.5 cm long, at Lempertz, Auction 1249, 19 June 2024, Cologne, lot 403 (sold for EUR 30,240). Compare a closely related wood netsuke of a ronin lying in wait, unsigned, 6.2 cm long, at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 7 November 2025, Vienna, lot 95 (sold for EUR 16,900).