A fine ivory figure group

Description:

Japan, Meiji period
H. 44 cm / B. 61 cm
Finely and intricately carved, coherent group of figures, comprising two litter-bearers and a noble lady seated in a litter, holding a boy (Karako) on her lap. At the far right stands a country-dressed man, presumably one of the bearers, leisurely smoking a pipe. To the left, the second bearer looks cheerfully at the boy, pointing to the chickens with one hand. The individual figures are carved in ivory and mounted on a wooden base.
Height of the standing figure: 32.5 cm
From an old South German private collection, assembled between 1972 and 2001, formerly Nagel Auktionen, Auction 100A, 17 June 2017, lot 975 - The EU trade certificate for the sale of this lot has been granted - Partly minor age cracks, slightly chipped, re-placed and slightly rest.