KOKEI: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE OF AMA STRUGGLING WITH AN OCTOPUS

KOKEI: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE OF AMA STRUGGLING WITH AN OCTOPUS
Signed Kokei 虎溪
Japan, Kuwana, Ise province, early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)
Intricately carved, the intertwined couple forming an unlikely pair and compact netsuke. The diver girl ensnared in the octopus' tentacles, with one hand she feebly pushes the face of the octopus away who presses its funnel shaped mouth forward, the other hand while armed with an awabi (an erotic allusion), appears hesitant to strike the octopus as its limbs reach forth to caress and support Ama as she leans back in pleasure. Naturalistic himotoshi formed by the crashing waves and tentacles to the base.
HEIGHT 3.7 cm
Condition: Good condition with minor wear. Restoration to foot.
Provenance:
From the collection of Teddy Hahn, Darmstadt. Theodor “Teddy” Hahn was a well-known and respected collector of netsuke and other Asian works of art. After spending time in museums to study the early cultures of the world, finding particular interest in their sculptures, he began collecting, remarking “I somehow knew it would have a profound influence on my life. How right I was. And how happy I have been.”
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related wood netsuke of Ama struggling with an octopus, the only other documented example signed Kokei, illustrated in the International Netsuke Society Journal (INSJ), 1999, vol. 19, no. 3, p. 60: 9.