132 - A RARE WOOD NETSUKE OF A SKELETON LIFTING A STRENGTH STONE

A RARE WOOD NETSUKE OF A SKELETON LIFTING A STRENGTH STONE Unsigned Japan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) A macabre twist on the classic stone-lifter subject, this rare variation depicts a finely carved crouching skeleton straining to lift a massive boulder, its bony hands gripping either side and its teeth pressed against the top. The anatomy is superbly observed, with individually carved teeth, cranial sutures, ribs, vertebrae, and articulated limbs, boldly undercut throughout. The smooth, stippled stone contrasts effectively with the intricate skeletal form. The wood with a fine warm reddish-brown patina, darkening in the recesses. Natural himotoshi. HEIGHT 4 cm Provenance: Collection Otto Heinrich Noetzel, Wilhelmshaven, Germany, and thence by descent in the family. Otto Heinrich Noetzel (1909-1987) was a distinguished German music publisher, collector, and author with a particular scholarly interest in netsuke. A grandson of Adalbert Heinrichshofen, he directed the family publishing house Heinrichshofen’s Verlag for many decades while building an important netsuke collection. He published Netsuke: ihre Geschichte, ihre Meister, ihre Motive in 1974, followed by Netsuke: Geschichte, Meister, Motive in 1981 and Yakimono-Netsuke: Netsuke aus Porzellan und Ton in 1985, illustrating works from his own collection and establishing it as a valuable scholarly reference. Condition: Excellent condition. Remnants of adhesive from an old label to the underside. The subject derives from the familiar netsuke motif of a blind masseur attempting to lift a chikaraishi, or strength stone, usually treated with a degree of humor as the figure strains awkwardly against the enormous weight. The present carving gives this established theme a wonderfully macabre twist, replacing the masseur with a skeleton: a body entirely stripped of flesh and muscle nevertheless struggling to raise the stone. The contradiction is both witty and striking, turning a familiar subject into a meditation on strength and mortality. Museum comparison: Compare a closely related wood netsuke of a crouching skeleton holding a large stone, 4.3 cm high, in the Science Museum Group Collection, object number A69795.