A highly unusual stag antler netsuke of a sleeping skeleton, by Sessai. Third quarter 19th century - image-1

Lot 1190 Dα

A highly unusual stag antler netsuke of a sleeping skeleton, by Sessai. Third quarter 19th century

Auktion 1112 - Übersicht Köln
16.06.2018, 16:31 - The Papp Collection of Netsuke
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A highly unusual stag antler netsuke of a sleeping skeleton, by Sessai. Third quarter 19th century

The human skeleton lies prostrate as if it were sleeping, the skull resting on the arm, the legs stretched out, the left hand placed on the thigh. Signed Sessai.
Length 11.1 cm

Shima Sessai (1820-1879) was in the service of the daimyo of Echizen and received the title of hôkkyô. His output is said to be only about one hundred netsuke and he is famous for his unusual excentric work, mostly of elongated shapes.

A very similar netsuke by Sessai once belonged to Raymond Bushell, published in: The Raymond Bushell Collection of Netsuke, A Legacy at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles 2003, cat. no. 685

Provenienz

Coll. no. 601 (no index card)

Literaturhinweise

Illustrated in: Skelettnetsuke / Skeleton Netsuke in: Netsuke, Vol. 1, no. 12 (1961), title page (shown here as a “standing” skeleton, and referred to on page 3 „in a German collection“)