A walrus tusk ryûsa manjû of Kyoyû and Sôfu. Second half 19th century - image-1

Lot 451 Dα

A walrus tusk ryûsa manjû of Kyoyû and Sôfu. Second half 19th century

Auction 1136 - overview Cologne
07.06.2019, 14:00 - Japanese Art (Armour, Swords, Netsuke, Inro, Sagemono)
Estimate: 700 € - 900 €
Result: 1.488 € (incl. premium)

A walrus tusk ryûsa manjû of Kyoyû and Sôfu. Second half 19th century

Kyoyû, inlaid in silver, sitting on a rock next to a waterfall, washing his ear, the reverse carved with his companion Sôfu and his ox.
Diameter 4.1 cm

Xuyo (jap. Kyoyû) counsellor to the Chinese emperor Yao declined the offer of succeeding him and washed his ears in a nearby waterfall, to clean out the proposal of the emperor.
At the river he met his companion Chaofu (jap. Sôfu) with his ox and told him about the imperial offer upon which the latter cleaned his ears as well and lead his ox away from the riverbank to keep him from drinking from this contaminated water.

Provenance

Private collection, Paris