Antik Dragon

Description

Unusual Japanese Meiji (19thC) stag antler netsuke of a horned demon with inlaid eyes in the form of a cat lady. The subject matter is known as ‘Oni no nenbutsu’ (鬼の念仏), an Oni chanting a Buddhist prayer. The figure is holding a portable gong/drum with a mallet to chant Buddhist prayer (nenbutsu, 念仏). The Oni wants to renounce his demonic way of life but he is incapable. He is pretending to be a devout Buddhist by chanting Buddhist prayer and gathering donations from parishioners and listing his good deeds in the ledger/registry book (Hogacho 奉加帳) he is carrying. The netsuke measures 9.5cm x 3cm x 1.5cm.

Beautifully carved in this difficult material, this is a rare and outstanding work of art.