204 - TANAKA JUNTOKU MINKO: A SUPERB EBONY WOOD NETSUKE OF KIYOHIME WRAPPED AROUND THE DOJOJI BELL

TANAKA JUNTOKU MINKO: A SUPERB EBONY WOOD NETSUKE OF KIYOHIME WRAPPED AROUND THE DOJOJI BELL By Tanaka Juntoku Minko (1735-1816), signed Minko 岷江 with kakihan Japan, Tsu, late 18 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Superbly carved from lustrous ebony, depicting the climactic scene from the legend of Anchin and Kiyohime. Transformed by jealousy and rage into a serpentine monster, Kiyohime coils tightly around the great temple bell of Dojoji, beneath which the fleeing priest Anchin has sought refuge. Her sinuous, dragon-like body wraps dynamically around the bell, the composition cleverly exploiting its compact, rounded form. The bell itself is finely worked with raised borders and richly textured panels, one side pierced with an aperture revealing the doomed Anchin within. The ingenious revolving mechanism transforms the netsuke into a miniature narrative in three stages. The handle of the bell can be rotated to turn an internal inset, successively revealing three faces of Anchin through the aperture: first unharmed, rendered in white; then engulfed by the heat of Kiyohime’s flames, rendered in red; and finally blackened and charred. Kiyohime herself is carved with exceptional vigor, her fierce visage framed by flowing hair and detailed with sharply incised horns, glaring eyes inlaid in reddish horn, teeth, and claws, while the finely worked scales of her serpentine body contrast beautifully with the polished ebony of the bell. Large, asymmetrical himotoshi underneath. Signed to the underside MINKO with kakihan. The present netsuke is further distinguished by its bold scale and rare execution entirely in ebony. Minko’s versions of this model are more commonly encountered in boxwood, while ebony examples are often enriched with contrasting ivory details. Here, the use of solid ebony throughout gives the composition exceptional visual weight and sculptural unity, particularly well suited to the massive bell and Kiyohime’s powerfully coiled form. LENGTH 4.8 cm Provenance: Ex-Collection Adolfo Kail, Vienna, sold at Glückselig & Wärndorfer, 25 November 1924, lot 218. Ex-Collection Dr. Edgar Franckel, Vienna, acquired from the above. Klefisch, Auktion 60, 15 June 1996, Cologne, lot 561. French private collection, acquired from the above. Condition: Very good condition with minor old repair between the himotoshi. Tanaka Juntoku Minko (1735-1816) was among the netsuke carvers recorded in the Soken Kisho of 1781, the earliest Japanese publication to systematically list netsuke carvers. Originally active as a carver of Buddhist shrines, he subsequently established an influential school of netsuke carving in Tsu and was already highly regarded during his lifetime. His finest figural works are distinguished by powerful sculptural forms, expressive characterization, and ingenious conception, qualities displayed to exceptional effect in the present netsuke. Later in his career, animals of the zodiac came to occupy a particularly prominent position within his oeuvre. The legend of Anchin and Kiyohime is one of the most dramatic tales in Japanese Buddhist folklore. Kiyohime fell passionately in love with the monk Anchin and, enraged by his rejection and flight, pursued him to the Dojoji temple, transforming along the way into a giant serpent. Anchin sought refuge beneath the temple’s great bronze bell, but Kiyohime discovered him, coiled herself around the bell, and engulfed it in flames, burning him to death within. Early versions of the tale appear in the Dainihonkoku Hokekyo Kenki of the 11th century and the Konjaku Monogatarishu of the early 12th century, while the story later became one of the most enduring subjects of Japanese performing arts, particularly through the celebrated Noh drama Dojoji. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related ebony and ivory netsuke of a Kiyohime by the same artist, signed Minko with kakihan, 4.5 cm long, illustrated in Meinertzhagen, Frederick / Lazarnick, George (1986) MCI, Part A, p. 511 and sold at Zacke, 24 November 2018, Vienna, lot 70 (sold for EUR 6,700 or approx. EUR 9,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).