Manju Netsuke of an Oni Hiding beneath a Straw Hat, Coloured Shell and Red Inlay, Mammoth Tusk
Manju Netsuke of an Oni Hiding beneath a Straw Hat, Coloured Shell and Red Inlay, Mammoth Tusk
- Dispatch
- Prepared and sent from Tokyo within 7–14 days, often sooner, or as arranged
- Arrival
- United States · usually 4–7 days after dispatch, insured and tracked Check the Shipping Flowchart here
- Import
Duties and customs · View the estimate
A guide for this piece: about $118, based on the 10% US charge on the declared value of goods made in Japan.
The final figure is set by US Customs and depends on where the piece was made and the kind of object it is. Many antiques over a century old carry no ordinary duty; most jewellery and leather goods add a single-digit rate.
With EMS, any charge is collected by your postal service on delivery. For pieces of significant value we can often arrange duties prepaid before dispatch.
How the estimate is reached · Ask for a figure on this piece
- Character
- Ornate 6.5 of 10 ·
- Replies
- Within one Tokyo business day · Ask the curator team
- Guarantee
- Authenticity guaranteed · How we grade
| Figure | cm | in |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 3.9 cm | 1.5 in |
| Height | 3.9 cm | 1.5 in |
| Depth | 1.8 cm | 0.7 in |
Every piece is measured by hand, in centimetres as Japan measures. Please allow 1–2 cm (about ½ inch) for the give of the material and the hand that held the tape.
Where each figure is taken · View the plate
Object, sculpture and ceramics
Condition report
Excellent
- Giftable
- Mint
- Excellent
- Very Good
- Good
- Honest Wear
- As Found
The Devil in Hiding
A lesson in asymmetry and empty space: one small figure on a wide plain field, in the manner of a tea-room alcove.
Best for: Collectors of manju netsuke, inlay and oni subjects
Condition notes
No conspicuous marks recorded. Staining and ink engraving are bright, and the polish is even.
Grades, ratings and commentary are given to the best of our ability, knowledge and experience, and condition remains partly a matter of personal perception. What we stand behind without qualification is authenticity, truthful description and provenance, to the best of our knowledge. How we grade
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Considered offers only. The Desk replies personally to figures made in good faith; those set far below the asking price receive no reply.
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A smooth bun-shaped netsuke with a single inlaid vignette: a small red oni crouching under a wide hat of mother-of-pearl.
The Piece
The body is a plain polished manju, cream and unadorned, and against that calm the inlay is a spark of colour. The demon is carved in a red material and set into the surface with one clawed hand visible, and the hat above him is cut from pearl shell with radiating ribs that catch the light.
The reverse has a central raised peg for the cord and an engraved signature in ink.
Iconography and Meaning
At Setsubun, the eve of spring, beans are thrown to drive demons out of the house, and the oni who shelters under a hat is the comic figure of a devil in retreat. The same image appears in Otsu-e folk painting, where a repentant oni dresses as a priest.
Western collectors have sought carvings like this since the opening of Japan, and the great cabinets formed then, now in the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert and the Metropolitan, set the taste that still governs the field: wit, finish, a subject with a story, and a form that is pleasing from every side. This piece answers on each count.
Details
- Type: Manju netsuke
- Subject: Oni hiding under a straw hat
- Material: Woolly mammoth tusk
- Technique: Hand carving, staining and ink engraving
- Colour: Ivory white with red and mother-of-pearl
- Length: 39 mm (1.5 in)
- Width: 18 mm (0.7 in)
- Height: 39 mm (1.5 in)
- Period: Contemporary, in the classical tradition
- Made in: Japan
Measured by hand; please allow a gentle margin of about 1 to 2 mm.
Condition
- No conspicuous marks, chips or repairs are recorded.
- Staining and ink engraving are bright, and the polish is even.
- Every photograph is part of the description.
Condition grade A (excellent) on the Japanese scale; see Japanese condition ranks, explained.
Authenticity & Care
Carved by hand in Japan from the tusk of the woolly mammoth, an extinct species whose fossil tusk is not elephant ivory and is not listed under CITES. It is a contemporary work in the classical tradition, examined and photographed in Japan before dispatch. Rules on mammoth tusk differ between countries and, in the United States, between states; please confirm that it may be received at your address before you buy. Keep away from direct sun, dry heat and sudden changes of humidity, and handle with clean dry hands.
Delivery from Japan
Wrapped by hand in Japan in soft tissue and a rigid case, and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Every sale is final; please ask anything you wish to know before you buy, and see our published policy.
Considered offers are welcome through Send an Offer, and each one is reviewed personally. More in Netsuke, Sagemono and Inro and Okimono, Figurines and Statues.
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