139 - SHOKO: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE OF JUROJIN WITH A CRANE

SHOKO: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE OF JUROJIN WITH A CRANE By Shoko Sugonoya, signed Shoko 尚古 Japan, Takayama, Hida province, late 19th century Finely carved in the characteristic Hida-Takayama manner, Jurojin sits on a pierced scholar's rock above an elaborate rocky base, wearing voluminous Chinese robes and his tall cap. He holds a large stiff fan in one hand and feeds a crane standing beside him with the other. The bird's plumage and slender legs are delicately worked, contrasting with the compact, deeply carved figure and openwork rockwork. The wood bearing a rich dark brown tone, lightening attractively at the high points. Natural himotoshi and signed SHOKO to the underside. HEIGHT 4.8 cm Provenance: Ex-collection Jury Kolodotschko, Munich. Lempertz, 5 December 2015, Cologne, lot 854. A private collection in Hungary, acquired from the above. Condition: Excellent condition with only minor wear. Jurojin, one of the Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin), is associated above all with longevity. The crane beside him is a particularly apt companion, likewise a traditional emblem of long life, and gives the present composition a graceful vertical counterpoint to the seated deity and rugged rockwork. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related wood netsuke of Jurojin with a deer by the same artist, signed Shoko, 4 cm high, at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 16 April 2021, Vienna, lot 150 (sold for EUR 2,806 or approx. EUR 3,600 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).