SHUGETSU SHIZAN: A LARGE WOOD NETSUKE OF DARUMA

SHUGETSU SHIZAN: A LARGE WOOD NETSUKE OF DARUMA
By Shugetsu, signed Shugetsu Shizan 舟月 紫山 saku 作
Japan, Edo (Tokyo), mid-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)
Superbly carved, this well-known model by the Shumin lineage treated here with remarkable boldness. Daruma is depicted in a meditative pose, almost completely enveloped in his robe, the garment folds decisively incised, and the stern expression powerfully crafted and minutely detailed. The eyes are inlaid in dark horn, and the earrings and large himotoshi underneath are inlaid in stained bone. The wood bearing a fine, dark patina. Signed underneath SHUGETSU shizan saku [made by Shizan Shugetsu]. The art name Shizan, meaning literally “purple mountain”, was used by both Shugetsu II and III (see LNIA, vol. 2, p. 987). The art name Shizan was inscribed only on the best pieces by the master.
HEIGHT 4.5 cm, LENGTH 5.1 cm
Condition: Excellent condition, minor surface wear. Fine, dark patina.
Provenance:
Collection Prof. Dr. Henk C. Hoogsteden, Rotterdam, purchased from Robert Fleischel in 2010.
Auction/Literature comparison:
The present netsuke is much more common from the Shumin lineage and only very few examples are known bearing the Shugetsu signature. For another netsuke of Daruma, signed Shugetsu with kakihan, see Sotheby's, Fine Netsuke Including Property from the Collection of Alan R. Liss, 2 September 1993, Chicago, lot 272. Another wood netsuke depicting Daruma, signed Shugetsu with seal, executed in a different manner, is illustrated in Hurtig, Bernard (1973) Masterpieces of Netsuke Art: One Thousand Favorites of Leading Collectors, p. 99, no. 360.