A Tokyo School ivory figure of two warriors locked in combat By Shimamura Toshiro (b.1841), Meiji Period
Sold for £28,800 inc. premium
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Find your local specialistA Tokyo School ivory figure of two warriors locked in combat
Possibly representing personnages taken from the classic Noh drama, 'The Revenge of the Soga Brothers', carved with one figure having fallen to the ground on his back with his legs up in the air whilst his assailant standing over him with one leg raised, attempts to trample him underfoot, the musclature of the limbs of both men finely delineated, signed Toshiaki saku. 21cm (8¼in) high.
Footnotes
象牙彫置物 喧嘩 俊章 明治時代
Toshiaki was the go used by the influential and celebrated netsuke carver, Shimamura Toshiro, who was the great uncle of Masatoshi and teacher of Masatoshi's father, Kuya.
A set of figures by the same artist are illustrated in vol.1 of The Michael Tomkinson Collection, ref. IV.31. Compare also with a similar ivory okimono figural group, carved with finely-executed movement and detail, illustrated on the front cover of the Journal of The International Netsuke Collectors Society, vol.11, no.3, December 1983.
Another fine figural okimono group by Shimamura Toshimitsu, who was from the same famous unbroken family line of carvers, was sold in these rooms, 5th November 2009, lot 91.
