Netsuke, Ashinaga and Tenaga with octopus, Japan, 19th century

A SUPERB WOOD NETSUKE OF ASHINAGA AND TENAGA WITH AN OCTOPUS Unsigned Japan, late 18th to early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Published: Douglas J. K. Wright (1976), Netsuke Panorama, no. 122. Superbly carved as the legendary pair of fishermen, the exceedingly long-legged Ashinaga striding forward while carrying Tenaga on his back.

Tenaga leans dramatically over his companion, his elongated arms reaching down toward an intricately carved openwork bamboo basket containing their catch, a wonderfully detailed octopus visible within. Even the basket is enlivened with minute details, including a tiny barnacle attached to the underside. Despite the pronounced movement of the composition, the group is remarkably well balanced and stands securely on its own. their lean bodies smoothly polished. The warm reddish-brown tone of the wood, expressive physiognomies, and vigorous treatment are characteristic of early Edo-school figure carving. Good, asymmetrical himotoshi to the back.

HEIGHT 7.5 cm Provenance: The Dorothy Ann Stevens Collection of Fine Netsuke & Inro, formed between the 1940s and 1960s. Acquired from Norton, November 1956. Preserved within the Stevens family for more than half a century, her collection constitutes a significant and well-documented record of the collecting and study of Japanese miniature arts in the mid-twentieth century. a small loss to the basket. Ashinaga and Tenaga, literally ‘Long Legs’ and ‘Long Arms’, are legendary figures who overcome their respective physical peculiarities through cooperation: Ashinaga wades into deep water while carrying Tenaga, whose long arms enable him to reach the fish and other sea creatures below.

The subject, which entered Japanese mythology from China, became particularly popular among netsuke carvers and is often interpreted as an image of mutual assistance. While numerous unsigned versions of the pair are known, the present example is distinguished by the unusually animated physiognomies and by the elaborate openwork basket, with the captured octopus meticulously carved within.