65 - A RARE RED LACQUER NETSUKE OF A LAUGHING STORYTELLER, EX-COLLECTION FREDERICK MEINERTZHAGEN

A RARE RED LACQUER NETSUKE OF A LAUGHING STORYTELLER, EX-COLLECTION FREDERICK MEINERTZHAGEN Unsigned Japan, 18 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Boldly carved and lacquered in a rich red as a seated storyteller caught in a moment of uproarious laughter, his exaggerated, oversized bald head thrust forward over the compact body. His face is wonderfully animated, the eyes tightly squeezed shut beneath deeply furrowed brows, the cheeks raised and broad mouth thrown wide open to reveal individually carved teeth and tongue, suggesting a particularly boisterous moment in his recitation. Sparse tufts of hair frame the temples and chin. He sits with his legs folded before him, one hand resting upon his knee while the other braces the body from behind, the loose robe slipping from one shoulder to expose the chest and gathering in broad, sweeping folds around the figure. The richly worn red lacquer emphasizes the deeply carved features and lends the figure a wonderfully lively character. Asymmetrical himotoshi underneath, the larger generously excavated to accommodate the knot. LENGTH 4.1 cm Provenance: Ex-collections Isobel Sharpe and Frederick Meinertzhagen. The Dorothy Ann Stevens Collection of Fine Netsuke & Inro, formed between the 1940s and 1960s. Purchased from F. Meinertzhagen on 28 November 1951. A copy of the corresponding entry in the collector’s register, recording the present lot as no. 381, accompanies the lot. Frederick Meinertzhagen (1881-1962) was one of the most influential collectors and scholars in the history of netsuke studies. Educated at Harrow, he initially studied engineering and medicine before devoting himself to art. For ten years he operated a London dealership specializing in Oriental art, during which his interests became increasingly concentrated on netsuke. Over several decades, he assembled, studied, bought, and sold an immense number of examples, carefully recording every piece that passed through his hands. These records formed the celebrated Meinertzhagen Card Index on Netsuke, comprising more than 5,000 extensively annotated entries, many accompanied by his remarkably accurate drawings. Bequeathed to the British Museum and published in two volumes in 1986, the index remains an indispensable reference for collectors and scholars. Meinertzhagen was also the author of The Art of the Netsuke Carver, published in 1956, one of the foundational critical studies of netsuke artists, schools, materials, and techniques. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, rubbing to lacquer and light surface scratches.