206 - A RARE AND AMUSING WOOD NETSUKE OF A FACIAL CONTORTIONIST

A RARE AND AMUSING WOOD NETSUKE OF A FACIAL CONTORTIONIST Unsigned Japan, 18 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved as a comic entertainer crouching in a compact pose, his body enveloped in voluminous robes falling in deeply incised folds. With one hand drawn dramatically over his bald pate, he contorts his face into an extraordinary grimace, the eyes tightly shut beneath furrowed brows and the lower lip pulled upward over the nose. The exaggerated physiognomy is superbly rendered, capturing both the physical strain and absurd humor of the performance. The underside is equally unusual, with asymmetrical himotoshi formed as one large circular and one kidney-shaped aperture. The wood bearing an attractive, warm patina. HEIGHT 3.1 cm Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and tiny nicks. The extraordinary grimace recalls the tradition of hyakumenso (‘hundred faces’), a popular form of comic entertainment in which performers amused audiences by rapidly assuming exaggerated facial expressions and recognizable character types.