59 - Ɏ A RARE TALL IVORY NETSUKE OF A CHINESE DOCTOR, CIRCLE OF GECHU

Ɏ A RARE TALL IVORY NETSUKE OF A CHINESE DOCTOR, CIRCLE OF GECHU Circle of Gechu, unsigned Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Superbly carved as a slender Chinese physician standing with the body gently inclined, the face animated by a broad, open-mouthed smile beneath a long pointed beard, the unusually large pupils inlaid in dark horn. He wears a broad circular hat and long flowing robes finely incised with flowering sprays and scrolling clouds, the parted hems revealing narrow trousers and soft shoes. One hand supports a long faceted case over the shoulder, probably representing a bamboo or wood marquetry container and intricately decorated with geometric bands, while the other holds a broad, deeply veined leaf. Large asymmetrical himotoshi to the back. The ivory bears a beautiful lustrous honey-yellow patina, deepening to amber at the back. HEIGHT 11.3 cm Provenance: From a noted French private collection. Condition: Very good condition with old wear, tiny nicks to the edges of the hat and robe, a small abrasion to one shoe, and expected natural age cracks. Gechu remains one of the most enigmatic carvers of 18th-century netsuke. Traditionally associated with Osaka, he has more recently been linked by Alain Ducros with Satsuma Province in Kyushu. Ducros argues that a distinctive group of tall, usually unsigned ivory figures was carved in Kagoshima and subsequently transported to Kyoto for sale, explaining both their anonymity and their marked stylistic separation from conventional Kyoto work. He identifies enlarged faces and eyes, foreign physiognomies, unusual costume, and non-Japanese accessories as characteristic features of this group. The present figure belongs compellingly to this remarkable Satsuma milieu. Its Chinese-style robes and physiognomy are combined with a broad foreign-looking hat, an unusual faceted case, and a large leaf, creating precisely the kind of cosmopolitan assemblage of costume and attributes described by Ducros. Rather than representing a strictly ethnographic portrait, such figures appear to embody the diverse foreign cultures encountered through Satsuma’s extensive contacts with China, Ryukyu, Southeast Asia, and the wider maritime world. Ducros further suggests that several closely related carvers were active in Kagoshima, some probably working in the immediate circle of Gechu. Literature comparison: Compare a related tall ivory netsuke of a sarumawashi, with beard and curly hair identified by Ducros as characteristic of Gechu, illustrated in Ducros, Alain (Summer 2016) “Satsuma Ivory Netsuke,” International Netsuke Society Journal, Vol. 36, No. 2, p. 26, fig. 13. Auction comparison: Compare a related tall ivory netsuke of a Chinese doctor, 12.1 cm high, at Bonhams, The James A. Rose Collection of Netsuke and Sagemono, 17 September 2013, New York, lot 2080 (sold for USD 11,875 or approx. EUR 15,000 converted and 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 IT/CE/2024/MI/00301). 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.