Showing posts with label japan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label japan. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Works of art....Japanese Carved Ivory Okimono... circa 1900




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An Unusually Large Japanese Carved Ivory Okimono of a Human Skull
Entwined with snakes and rats
Perhaps made by a particular workshop as an example of excellence and achievement
Meiji period (1868-1912)


the god of death
has passed me over...
autumn dusk

Haiku of Kobayashi Issa
(1763 - 1828)



Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Works of Art.... Skull and Devil... Japan





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Ivory okimono of a scull (tokotsu) entwined with a serpent, Meiji period (1868 - 1912)

worn by members of the underground dokudo (later yakuza), because they believed it brought good luck to gamblers. In the Meiji period the best-known carver of this subject was Gjokuzan.



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Carved ivory netsuke signed Chiyuki 之, Japan, Meiji period, turn of the 19th century
 
This  netsuke depicts a typical stylized devil Oni
They come from the Buddhist pantheon and appear in many folk stories. In this comical stylization the umbrella is used instead of the kanabo steel club. The eyes of the devil are made of mother-of-pearl and were inserted by the technique ji ita hamekomi.