GYOKUSAI: A RARE IVORY NETSUKE OF A SUMO WRESTLER AND HAIRDRESSER

GYOKUSAI: A RARE IVORY NETSUKE OF A SUMO WRESTLER AND HAIRDRESSER
By Gyokusai, signed Gyokusai
Japan, mid to late 19th century
Published:
Bandini, Rosemary (2006) Tiny Titans: The Sumo Netsuke Collection of Karl-Ludwig Kley, no. 65.
Finely carved and stained, the wrestler seated cross-legged on a mat, the hairdresser standing behind him holding his customer's hair back with one hand and combing it with the other, his robes neatly incised with various patterns and designs, a pouch and pipecase attached to his belt, the wrestler clad only in a loincloth, the underside well carved with the incised mat with floral himotoshi as well as a fan and an oval plaque with the signature GYOKUSAI.
HEIGHT 4 cm
Condition: Good condition with some surface wear, few small nicks, and minor age cracks.
Provenance:
Ex-collection Karl Ludwig Kley.
Trade Certificate:
The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number AT 22-B-0328).
 
This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.