249 - A FINE AND UNUSUAL ANTLER TWO-PART MANJU NETSUKE OF RAIJIN PEERING THROUGH THE CLOUDS

A FINE AND UNUSUAL ANTLER TWO-PART MANJU NETSUKE OF RAIJIN PEERING THROUGH THE CLOUDS Unsigned Japan, Tokyo, Asakusa District, c. 1860s-1880s The antler plate set into a bowl of the same material, the front finely and boldly carved with Raijin, the Thunder God, crouching amid densely swirling storm clouds and peering out from between them. His muscular limbs are powerfully modeled, the head lowered with a fierce expression beneath curling locks of hair, while a pair of drumsticks is secured across his back. The deeply carved, billowing cloud scrolls envelop the deity in a dynamic, turbulent composition. The underside is pierced with three comma-shaped openings forming a mitsu-tomoe, an emblem closely associated with Raijin and the thunder drums traditionally depicted surrounding him. Two himotoshi beneath the removable plate on which Raijin sits. The distinctive treatment of the antler and vigorous carving are closely related to works by the Asakusa masters Rensai and Hakusai. DIAMETER 4.4 cm Condition: Excellent condition. Typical natural imperfections to the antler. Raijin, the Japanese God of Thunder, lightning, and storms, is one of the most recognizable deities in Japanese mythology. He is typically portrayed as a fearsome, demon-like figure beating a circle of drums to create thunder. Storm deities acquired particular historical resonance through the attempted Mongol invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281, when powerful storms helped destroy the invading fleets. These storms came to be celebrated as kamikaze, or ‘divine winds’, sent to protect Japan. Auction comparison: Compare a related ivory netsuke of a kappa on a shell in a similar pose, by Ishikawa Rensai, 3.8 cm long, at Bonhams, Fine Netsuke from the Adrienne Barbanson Collection, 13 May 2013, lot 45 (sold for GBP 18,750 or approx. EUR 32,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).