265 - AN IMPRESSIVE AND LARGE TSUISHU LACQUER NETSUKE OF A SHOJO DANCER, ATTRIBUTED TO MATSUKI HOKEI

AN IMPRESSIVE AND LARGE TSUISHU LACQUER NETSUKE OF A SHOJO DANCER, ATTRIBUTED TO MATSUKI HOKEI Attributed to Matsuki Hokei, unsigned Japan, Tokyo, late 19 th century, Meiji period (1868-1912) Masterfully carved in lustrous tsuishu lacquer as a Shojo dancer standing in a gently swaying pose, the arms extended with a folding fan held in the right hand. The youthful face bears a faintly intoxicated smile, framed by exceptionally long hair falling in finely incised strands over the shoulders and down the back. The voluminous robes and hakama are carved throughout in varying relief with an exceptionally dense brocade of chrysanthemums, floral motifs, and geometric diapers including asanoha and kikko, the decoration continuing seamlessly across the sleeves, front, and reverse. Ringed himotoshi to the back. HEIGHT 6.1 cm, WIDTH 4.4 cm Condition: Excellent condition with only minor wear. Matsuki Hokei was among the foremost masters of tsuishu netsuke, working in Tokyo during the late Edo and Meiji periods. His figural carvings are distinguished by minutely incised hair, densely patterned robes, crisp relief carving, and characteristic ringed himotoshi. The present netsuke corresponds closely with securely signed examples and may be confidently attributed to Hokei. At 6.1 cm high, it ranks among the largest recorded examples of his work. The celebrated example from the Joseph and Elena Kurstin Collection, cited below, measures 5.7 cm and is itself unusually large. The present carving is therefore exceptional not only in scale, but also in the extraordinary density and refinement of its decoration, making it one of the most ambitious Hokei-type tsuishu netsuke known. Shojo are joyful, sake-loving sea spirits of Japanese folklore and the eponymous Noh play, traditionally depicted with long red hair and dancing with increasing abandon after drinking sake. The subject was particularly well suited to tsuishu, the brilliant red lacquer naturally complementing their distinctive hair and flushed, intoxicated appearance. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related tsuishu lacquer netsuke of a shojo dancer by the same artist, signed Hokei, illustrated in Davey, Neil K. (1982) Netsuke: A Comprehensive Study Based on the M. T. Hindson Collection, p. 161, no. 483. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related tsuishu lacquer netsuke of a Shojo dancer by the same artist, signed Hokei, dated to the late 19th century, 5.4 cm high, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Works of Art from the Edward Wrangham Collection, 18 June-9 July 2018, London, lot 39 (sold for GBP 4,750 or approx. EUR 7,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Compare also a related and unusually large tsuishu lacquer netsuke by the same artist, signed Hokei, 5.7 cm high, at Bonhams, Netsuke from the Collection of Joseph and Elena Kurstin, 16 December 2022, New York, lot 18 (sold for USD 8,287 or approx. EUR 8,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). At 6.1 cm, the present netsuke is notably larger.