114 - Ɏ MITSUHIRO: A FINE IVORY NETSUKE OF A GOURD WITH A FIGURE FROM AN OTSU-E

Ɏ MITSUHIRO: A FINE IVORY NETSUKE OF A GOURD WITH A FIGURE FROM AN OTSU-E By Ohara Mitsuhiro (1810-1875), signed Mitsuhiro 光廣 with seal Ohara 大原 Japan, Osaka, mid-19 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved as a naturalistically formed gourd, the smooth ivory surface delicately engraved in kebori, katakiribori and darkly stained with a figure from an otsu-e folk painting. The wandering figure, rendered in the characteristic simplified style of the genre, is shown striding across the surface with a staff in hand, his robes outlined in bold, confident strokes. Himotoshi to the back and signed MITSUHIRO and sealed OHARA. HEIGHT 4.4 cm Condition: Excellent condition. The design is recorded in Mitsuhiro / Mikoshiba, Misao (transl.) (2001) Takarabukuro: A Netsuke Artist Notebook, p. 52, no. 77, where Mitsuhiro instructs: “Engrave on gourd a figure from an Otsu-e in hairline carving, such as a demon playing the shamisen, a demon chanting a prayer to Buddha, Benkei, or some other subject. Carve carefully.” Literature comparison: Compare a closely related ivory netsuke of a gourd with a figure from an otsu-e by the same artist illustrated in Mitsuhiro / Mikoshiba, Misao (transl.) (2001) Takarabukuro: A Netsuke Artist Notebook, p. 108, no. 77. 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.