233 - AN AMUSING LARGE WOOD NETSUKE OF DARUMA PASSING WIND

AN AMUSING LARGE WOOD NETSUKE OF DARUMA PASSING WIND Unsigned Japan, late 19th century, Meiji period (1868-1912) Boldly and humorously carved as Daruma bent sharply forward, lifting his voluminous robes and spreading his exposed buttocks with both hands as he forcefully breaks wind. His entire body seems caught in the effort, the face contorted into an uproarious grimace, with double-inlaid bone eyes and dark horn pupils opened wide in alarm and the enormous mouth agape, revealing two rows of individually inlaid teeth. The exaggerated expression suggests a sudden and particularly violent bout of flatulence, lending the figure an irresistibly comic character. The cascading sleeves and voluminous robes are deeply carved in broad, sweeping folds. A cord hole is discreetly carved to the interior of the sleeve. HEIGHT 5.4 cm Provenance: Ex-collection Frank Lapisch, acquired in June 1989. Frank Lapisch (1934-2002) was a German entrepreneur and dedicated netsuke collector who first traveled to Japan in 1960 as a German judo champion. He later founded the Tokyo-based electronics firm Alltec in 1972 while deepening his engagement with Japanese art and craftsmanship. From the late 1970s onward, he pursued the study and acquisition of netsuke with increasing discernment, carefully documenting purchases made at auction houses such as Lempertz and Klefisch. He showed a particular preference for early ‘ur-netsuke,’ prized for their expressive carving and richly developed, glossy wear patina. Condition: Excellent condition. Auction comparison: Compare a related wood netsuke of a stretching Daruma with a similarly exaggerated facial expression, by Anraku, 4.9 cm high, at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 3 November 2023, Vienna, lot 167 (sold for EUR 5,850 or approx. EUR 6,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).