Chinese deity holding a Phoenix
Description
During the Meiji period, the Japanese increasingly took to Western dress in the 19th century, leading to declining in demand for netsuke. Netsuke carvers instead turned to producing Okimono – a small, carved decorative object created specifically for display. These pieces in turn caught the attention of the foreign markets raising their demand. These are carved from a single section of tusk typically depicting domestic scenes of samurais, farmers, fishermen, and children and occasionally, studies of birds, animals and flowers. With the founding of the Tokyo School of Art in 1887, the best carvings for okimono were made.
Collection
Japanese Art
Object Type
Decorative Art Figurine Okimono
Material
Ivory
Schools/Culture/Period
Meiji period
Technique
Ivory carving
Date
19th century CE
Location
Japan
Dimension
--