Japanese Meiji Ivory Okimono, Fisherman with Turtle and Scoop Net

East Asia, Japan, Meiji period. An elephant ivory okimono of a bearded fisherman standing on an irregular oval base. He holds a sea turtle up in his right hand and grips a long-handled scoop net in his left. His face creases into a broad, knowing grin, and the wisps of his beard and his tousled hair are picked out in brown stain. The turtle's shell is engraved with a crisp hexagonal pattern, and the curved scoop of the net is finely cross-hatched to suggest mesh. A double-gourd flask hangs at his sash. His layered robe is incised with fan, lattice, and foliate cartouches, each set off with sepia staining. A chrysanthemum is carved on the underside of the base beside a faint mark, perhaps a signature, that cannot be read. The subject may be Urashima Taro, the fisherman who spared a turtle, or simply an old fisherman with his catch. In the best-known version of the Urashima Taro legend, a young fisherman rescues a turtle from children who are tormenting it. As a reward he is carried beneath the sea to Ryugu-jo, the Dragon Palace, where he lives with the princess Otohime. When he finally returns home, centuries have passed. He opens a forbidden lacquer box she gave him and instantly becomes an old man. Carvers often showed Urashima holding the turtle or the box, and the story's mix of kindness, lost time, and old age made it a favorite subject. In Japan the turtle (kame) was also a well-established emblem of long life, said to live ten thousand years. A figure holding a turtle therefore carried a wish for longevity, whether or not a particular story was meant. Okimono, meaning "placed objects," grew out of the netsuke carver's craft. After the Meiji Restoration, Japanese dress changed and demand for netsuke fell, so carvers turned to larger display figures like this one, many of them made for Western buyers. This item is made of or contains elephant ivory and qualifies for exemption under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) as an antique. Due to strict federal and state regulations governing the sale and transport of ivory, this item may not be shipped internationally or to residents of the following U.S. jurisdictions: CA, CT, DC, HI, IL, MA, MD, MN, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OR, VT, and WA. Buyers are solely responsible for ensuring that their purchase complies with all applicable local, state, and federal laws regarding the acquisition, possession, resale, or transfer of ivory. While we guarantee that this item meets the criteria for ESA exemption under federal law, we strongly recommend that prospective buyers consult with local authorities to verify legal eligibility in their jurisdiction. This lot cannot be shipped to CA, CT, DC, HI, IL, MA, MD, MN, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OR, VT, and WA or outside the United States. Item # 205575

Estimate:£452.13

View all items fromArtemis Fine ArtsorSculptures