104 - Ɏ OKATOMO: A FINE IVORY NETSUKE OF A SHISHI WITH A KEMARI BALL

Ɏ OKATOMO: A FINE IVORY NETSUKE OF A SHISHI WITH A KEMARI BALL Signed Okatomo 岡友 Japan, Kyoto, late 18 th to early 19 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved and attractively stained, depicting a diminutive seated shishi clutching a kemari ball between its forepaws. The beast bears a powerful snarling expression, the mouth agape to reveal sharp teeth, its eyes with pupils inlaid in dark horn, beneath heavy brows. The compact body is covered in delicate hairwork, while the mane and bushy tail are superbly rendered in deeply carved, sweeping curls. Despite its small size, the carving is remarkably detailed and boldly sculptural. Natural himotoshi and signed to the underside within a rectangular reserve OKATOMO. LENGTH 3.9 cm Provenance: Ex-collection Frank Lapisch. Frank Lapisch (1934-2002) was a German entrepreneur and dedicated netsuke collector who first traveled to Japan in 1960 as a German judo champion. He later founded the Tokyo-based electronics firm Alltec in 1972 while deepening his engagement with Japanese art and craftsmanship. From the late 1970s onward, he pursued the study and acquisition of netsuke with increasing discernment, carefully documenting purchases made at houses such as Lempertz and Klefisch. He showed a particular preference for early ‘ur-netsuke,’ prized for their expressive carving and richly developed, glossy wear patina. Condition: One inlaid pupil replaced. Otherwise excellent condition with only a few expected age cracks. Yamaguchi Okatomo and Okatori were closely related within the Kyoto school, Okatori being both Okatomo’s brother and pupil. Their work is accordingly very close in style, and it has been suggested that Okatori may have signed some early carvings with the Okatomo name. Okatori appears to have particularly favored smaller, highly refined compositions, raising the possibility that certain diminutive works signed Okatomo may in fact be by his hand. The present shishi is a compelling example: its compact scale and meticulous finish correspond closely with Okatori’s manner and find a particularly persuasive parallel in the signed Okatori shishi climbing on a ball cited below, especially in the snarling expression, deeply carved mane, powerful paws, and bushy tail. Museum comparison: Compare a closely related stained ivory netsuke of a reclining shishi by Yamaguchi Okatomo, 4.1 cm long, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, accession no. M.59.35.13. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related ivory netsuke of a lively shishi climbing on a ball by Okatori, 4.5 cm high, at Lempertz, The Kolodotschko Collection of Netsuke, Japanese Art, 6 December 2014, Cologne, lot 708 (sold for EUR 14,260 or approx. EUR 19,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Note the closely related treatment of the snarling expression, deeply carved mane, paws, and particularly the bushy tail. Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number DE-K-260427-151). 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.