Netsuke, wood, skull and snake, Sukeyuki, Japan, 1838-1920

SUKEYUKI: A MASTERFUL WOOD NETSUKE OF A SKULL AND SNAKE By Izumi Sukeyuki (1838-1920), signed Sukeyuki 亮之 Japan, Takayama, Hida Province, late 19th century- early 20th century, Meiji period (1868-1912) A striking and morbidly fascinating netsuke of a large snake, its body finely carved with naturalistic scales and varying in thickness as it coils around an anatomically precise skull.

The skull shows signs of age, with a few missing teeth and the back of the cranium hollowed out. The snake slithers through this opening, penetrating the eye socket, and rests its head atop the skull. The eyes are double-inlaid and the tongue is extended. The surface of the skull is masterfully stippled, mimicking the heterogeneous texture of the cranium. Natural himotoshi. Signed to one side in a rectangular reserve SUKEYUKI. LENGTH 4.3 cm Provenance: The Dorothy Ann Stevens Collection of Fine Netsuke & Inro, formed between the 1940s and 1960s. Purchased from Norton, October 1954, and recorded in the collector’s register as no. 277.

It is said that Sukeyuki had gone to find his models of skulls in old burial mounds and had taken anatomy courses from a physician friend to gain a better understanding of muscle tendon insertions. Izumi Sukeyuki (1838–1920) lived in the town of Bamba in Omi Province, present-day Shiga Prefecture. He initially specialized in carving family Buddhist altars, but upon visiting Hida-Takayama, he became captivated by the work of sculptor Matsuda Sukenaga (1800–1871), renowned for his netsuke and okimono of reptiles and amphibians.

Inspired by Sukenaga’s style, Sukeyuki adopted his master’s name and turned to sculpture, focusing particularly on snakes, toads, and skulls. His sculptures of snakes slithering through skulls became a signature motif, reflecting his interest in the Zen Buddhist concept of memento mori, symbolizing the impermanence of life. Such motifs, favored by the samurai, were reminders of the inevitability of death and the importance of living prepared for it.