A fine and rare carved ivory okimono with 31 oni on a lantern

Estimated Value:

3.000 € - 5.000 €

Result:

incl. Premium and VAT

Description:

Japan, sign. Gyokushu, Meiji period
H. 22,7 cm
Okimono in the shape of a stone lantern (Tōrō), populated by a total of 31 oni in various poses. The demons climb up ladders, hang from the ledges, crawl out of openings or balance on the ledges; a larger figure sits on the top. Each figure is individually crafted and shows the precision of the Meiji period. Ivory.
Old South German private collection, collected before 1990
The inscription on the central pillar Jigoku Daiō - "Great King of Hell" - clearly refers to Enma Daiō, the ruler of the Buddhist underworld, whose servants are the oni. While oni are feared guardians in religious contexts, they appear here in the grotesquely humorous depiction typical of the Meiji period - a depiction that particularly fascinated 19th century Western collectors. The EU marketing authorisation for this lot has been granted - Very slightly chipped, few small restorations

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