270 - A VERY RARE SILVER INLAID WOOD NETSUKE OF A SPIDER CLAW

A VERY RARE SILVER INLAID WOOD NETSUKE OF A SPIDER CLAW Unsigned Japan, 18 th-19 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved as a fantastic spider claw, perhaps inspired by a yokai spider such as the tsuchigumo, the elongated form tapering elegantly to a pointed tip, the rounded upper section modeled as the creature’s jointed body. The surface is richly textured, carved in takabori with finely worked silver inlay of a spider emerging from its intricately rendered silver-inlaid web, its delicate legs and body further enhanced with incrusted horn details. Asymmetrical himotoshi to the reverse. HEIGHT 6.5 cm Provenance: Sotheby’s, Netsuke, Inro and other Japanese Works of Art, 15 December 1976, London, lot 215. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and light traces of use. The spider has long occupied an ambiguous position in Japanese imagination, representing both the ingenuity of the natural world and the mysterious realm of supernatural beings. Among the most celebrated spider yokai is the tsuchigumo (earth spider), a gigantic creature of folklore whose name literally means “earth spider.” The legend became closely associated with the warrior Minamoto no Raiko (948–1021), who was said to have defeated the monstrous spider spirit together with his retainers. The medieval picture scroll Tsuchigumo soshi recounts Raiko’s encounter with an enormous spider inhabiting a mysterious mountain realm, a tale that later became one of the most enduring narratives of supernatural conflict in Japanese literature and theater.