278 - ZANMAI: NINE-TAILED FOX (KYUBI NO KITSUNE)

ZANMAI: NINE-TAILED FOX (KYUBI NO KITSUNE) By Onosato Zanmai (b. 1967), signed Zanmai 三昧 Japan, Tokyo, late 20 th century Finely carved as a nine-tailed fox caught in an animated, almost weightless stride, the slender body rising in an elegant S-curve as though prancing into the night. The forepaws are drawn closely to the chest, while the head is thrown upward, the elongated muzzle, alert ears, and slightly open mouth lending the creature a spirited, otherworldly expression. The powerful hindquarters dissolve into nine long, flowing tails, individually defined and cascading downward to form the base of the composition. The fur is delicately incised throughout. Natural himotoshi and signed underneath ZANMAI. HEIGHT 9.4 cm Provenance: From the estate of Andrew Cunningham Ware. Sold at Americana Auctions, Fine March Estates Auctions, 22 March 2026, Rehoboth, lot 435 (sold for USD 17,000 or approx. EUR 15,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Andrew Cunningham Ware (1945–2024) was an avid scholar and passionate amateur Egyptologist whose lifelong fascination with the ancient world led him to study under the distinguished French Egyptologist Christiane Desroches Noblecourt. Dividing his time between France and South Florida, Ware cultivated a remarkably diverse collection that reflected his wide-ranging intellectual curiosity . encompassing ancient Egyptian artifacts, historical documents from the French and Russian Revolutions, and a refined selection of Japanese art. Condition: Excellent condition. Onosato Zanmai, born Tetsu Onosato in Tokyo in 1967, is an award-winning contemporary netsuke artist. Raised in a family of antique dealers, he trained at the Yanaka workshop of the Japan Ivory Sculpture Association from 1993 to 1996. His works have been included in major exhibitions devoted to contemporary netsuke, including at the Chiba City Museum of Art, the Tobacco and Salt Museum, Tokyo, and the Museum of Arts and Design, New York. In 2015, the Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum devoted a solo exhibition to his work. The nine-tailed fox, or kyubi no kitsune, is one of the most powerful supernatural beings in East Asian mythology. Originating in ancient Chinese tradition and later absorbed into Japanese folklore, the multiplication of the fox's tails came to signify increasing age, wisdom, and magical power, with nine representing its ultimate state. In Japan, the creature is famously associated with the legend of Tamamo-no-Mae, the beautiful court lady revealed to be a formidable fox spirit. Mysterious, seductive, and transformative, the kyubi no kitsune occupies an ambiguous realm between auspicious spirit and dangerous supernatural being.