236 - HOKOKU: A RARE AND AMUSING WOOD NETSUKE OF A TANUKI DISGUISED AS A KOMORI, CARRYING A CABBAGE

HOKOKU: A RARE AND AMUSING WOOD NETSUKE OF A TANUKI DISGUISED AS A KOMORI, CARRYING A CABBAGE By Hokoku (Yoshitani), signed Hokoku 芳谷 Japan, Tokyo, late 19th-early 20th century, Meiji period (1868-1912) Finely carved as an anthropomorphic tanuki crouching in voluminous robes and humorously disguised as a komori (nursemaid). A tenugui is tied around its head in the characteristic manner of a childminder, while upon its back, in place of the expected infant, it carries a large leafy cabbage. The tanuki turns its head to one side with an endearingly earnest expression, its unmistakably animal features, pointed muzzle, alert eyes, and finely incised fur comically betraying the disguise. The smooth, deeply carved folds of the robes contrast attractively with the finely worked fur and overlapping leaves of the cabbage. Himotoshi to the underside, one characteristically ringed, and signed HOKOKU. The refined carving and choice of finely polished wood further suggest a close affinity with the sophisticated Tokyo carving tradition associated with the Tokoku and Jugyoku schools. Intriguingly, this rare artist’s name Hokoku 芳谷 shares the character koku 谷 with Suzuki Tokoku 東谷. HEIGHT 4 cm Condition: Excellent condition. The present netsuke offers a delightful parody of the familiar komori, the young nursemaid traditionally charged with carrying an infant upon her back. Hokoku transforms this recognizable type into a witty visual joke: the supposed nursemaid is unmistakably a tanuki, while the “child” is nothing more than a cabbage. The humor is especially apt given the tanuki’s traditional reputation as a mischievous master of disguise and transformation. Literature comparison: For another work by this rare artist, depicting Gama Sennin, see Lazarnick, George (1981) Netsuke & Inro Artists, and How to Read Their Signatures (LNIA), Vol. 1, p. 483.