Ivory netsuke of a willow tree ghost (Yanagi-baba)
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
second half of the 19th century
Finely carved and stained as Yanagi-baba, the spirit of an ancient willow tree, hunched forward with her long, claw-like hands extended in an eerie gesture. Her haunting yet mischievous expression is framed by long, disheveled hair falling in deeply incised strands over the shoulders and down the back.
The voluminous robes are smoothly worked with carefully delineated folds, the lower body characteristically tapering into a curling wisp. Natural himotoshi and signed GYOKUZAN within an oval reserve underneath. Yanagi-baba, the “Willow Hag,” is a supernatural tree spirit recorded in the Edo-period illustrated ghost anthology Ehon Hyaku Monogatari (Picture Book of a Hundred Stories, 1841). According to the tale, an ancient willow tree in Hitachi Province gained supernatural powers and could assume human form, appearing either as a beautiful woman or as an old hag to deceive travelers.
The legend reflects the enduring Japanese belief that exceptionally old trees could become inhabited by powerful spirits.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Material (listing wording)
- ivory
- Dimensions or weight (listing wording)
- HEIGHT 4.2 cm
Identification
- Source note
- Auction-house description published on Invaluable. Attribution and measurements describe the photographed example; independent type authentication remains research required.
- Listing object ID
- 206787929
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Independent confirmation of type attribution and auction-house statements remains research required.