Antler Netsuke of Chinnan Sennin

Powerfully carved in a tall, slender form from a tubular section of hollow antler as Chinnan Sennin standing with his body gently swaying beneath voluminous robes, holding a large staff in one hand and a bowl in the other, from which a dragon dramatically emerges.

The sennin’s gaunt face is framed by a long flowing beard and animated by deeply set eyes with dark horn-inlaid pupils, his open mouth revealing teeth. Large himotoshi to the back. HEIGHT 11.2 cm Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and natural imperfections to the material. The feet are possibly replacements. The present lot is attributed to the circle of Tomohisa, who belongs to an important group of 18th-century figure carvers, which also includes Mototada and Tomotane.

About this group, Jay Hopkins writes, “Working in staghorn, they primarily produced large figures ranging from 3 to 6 inches in height. Subject matters usually involved Chinese legends, including Shoki, sennin, Kann’u, guardians and entertainers. They effectively used black horn to inlay eye pupils, buttons and other details – perhaps the earliest carvers to use this technique.”