122 - HOKKYO SHIMA SESSAI: A RARE EBONY WOOD NETSUKE OF A RAT ATOP A KUMADE

HOKKYO SHIMA SESSAI: A RARE EBONY WOOD NETSUKE OF A RAT ATOP A KUMADE By Hokkyo Shima Sessai (1820-1879), signed Hokkyo Sessai 法橋 雪斎 Japan, 19 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved, the netsuke depicting a rat crouching atop a kumade, the traditional bamboo rake, its sleek body and long, sinuous tail rendered with naturalistic precision. The rat’s alert head is finely modeled, with small rounded ears, pointed snout, and dark, lustrous eyes. The kumade is boldly rendered in the form of a broad bamboo rake, its closely spaced tines and raised framework finely carved throughout, the rat ingeniously perched across its surface. Himotoshi to the back and signed within a reserve HOKKYO SESSAI. LENGTH 3.9 cm Condition: Good condition with old typical wear and some light chipping to the right ear. A rat and a kumade are an auspicious combination symbolizing the gathering of wealth and good fortune, with the rat further associated with Daikoku, the god of prosperity. Traditionally used as a lucky rake, particularly during the Tori-no-ichi festivals, the kumade symbolically “rakes in” wealth, business prosperity, and good fortune. Shima Sessai (1820-1879) was in the service of the daimyo of Echizen and received the title of Hokkyo. His output is said to comprise only about one hundred netsuke, and he is particularly noted for his eccentric, often elongated compositions. Literature comparison: Compare a related wood netsuke of a water rat on lotus by the same artist, signed Hokkyo Sessai to, illustrated in Lazarnick, George (1981), Netsuke & Inro Artists, and How to Read Their Signatures (LNIA), Vol. 2, p. 940.