61 - Ɏ A FINE IVORY NETSUKE OF A FOX PRIEST (HAKUZOSU)

Ɏ A FINE IVORY NETSUKE OF A FOX PRIEST (HAKUZOSU) Unsigned Japan, 18 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved as Hakuzosu, the fox priest, caught in a lively dancing step, the slender body swaying beneath voluminous robes, the paws folded before the chest and the head inclined forward. The elongated vulpine face is particularly striking, the forehead and muzzle covered in dense flowing incisions of fur, deeply heightened with sumi; similar darkened engraving animates the broad folds of the robe. Himotoshi to the back. The ivory bearing a warm yellow tone. HEIGHT 8.3 cm Provenance: Ex-Collection Kati and Marc Wilwers, Luxembourg. Thereafter in a noted German private collection, Munich, Germany, acquired from the above. Condition: Good condition with old wear, age cracks, and a tiny chip to the left ear. The fox may have previously held a staff but there is no evidence of losses. Hakuzosu is the fox spirit disguised as a Buddhist priest in the Kyogen play Tsurigitsune (The Fox Trapper). In the play, an old fox assumes the guise of the hunter's uncle, the monk Hakuzosu, and persuades him to abandon fox trapping; on his return, however, the fox cannot resist the bait in a discarded trap and reveals his true nature. The character therefore offered netsuke carvers an ideal blend of humor, disguise, and supernatural transformation. Auction comparison: Compare a related ivory netsuke of a fox priest, 9 cm high, at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 3 November 2023, Vienna, lot 112 (sold for EUR 2,860 or approx. EUR 3,200 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Compare a related ivory netsuke of a fox priest in a similarly animated pose, 6.8 cm high, at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 9 May 2025, Vienna, lot 116 (sold for EUR 6,500). Trade Certificate: In accordance with new EU regulations that went into effect in January 2022, we have applied for a certificate to sell this item within the EU. We expect the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology to issue the certificate in 2-3 weeks. The item can only be shipped / handed over once the certificate has been issued. 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.