{"product_id":"netsuke-of-a-monkey-emerging-from-a-conch-shell-with-netted-cord-mammoth-tusk","title":"Netsuke of a Monkey Emerging from a Conch Shell with Netted Cord, Mammoth Tusk","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"jp-product\" data-world=\"Japan Luxury Archive\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"jp-lede\"\u003eA great conch shell bound in a net of cord, and climbing out of its mouth a monkey, looking about with bright curiosity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Piece\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe shell is the horagai, the trumpet of the mountain ascetics, and its spiral is engraved with the knotted mesh in which it was carried, each knot inked. The lip of the shell flares into a smooth pale mouth from which the monkey pulls himself, a second small figure clinging at the other end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCord holes are drilled through the shell wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eIconography and Meaning\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMonkeys are the messengers of the mountain god and the clowns of netsuke, always getting into things. The conch calls the faithful and drives off evil, so a monkey in a conch is both a joke about mischief and a charm of protection; saru, monkey, also means to depart, and so sends bad luck away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo the eye trained on European sculpture the appeal is immediate and a little startling: a complete composition, finished on every face including the one that rests on the table, in an object that weighs no more than a few coins. It was this union of intimacy and perfection that made the netsuke the emblem of Japonisme, and that keeps it at the centre of Western collections of Japanese art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eDetails\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"jp-details\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Katabori netsuke, carved in the round\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSubject:\u003c\/strong\u003e Monkey in a conch shell\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Woolly mammoth tusk\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTechnique:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hand carving, staining and ink engraving\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColour:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ivory white with black\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLength:\u003c\/strong\u003e 52 mm (2.0 in)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWidth:\u003c\/strong\u003e 27 mm (1.1 in)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 34 mm (1.3 in)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePeriod:\u003c\/strong\u003e Contemporary, in the classical tradition\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMade in:\u003c\/strong\u003e Japan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeasured by hand; please allow a gentle margin of about 1 to 2 mm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCondition\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNo conspicuous marks, chips or repairs are recorded.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStaining and ink engraving are bright, and the polish is even.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEvery photograph is part of the description.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCondition grade \u003cstrong\u003eA (excellent)\u003c\/strong\u003e on the Japanese scale; see \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/japanese-condition-ranks-explained\"\u003eJapanese condition ranks, explained\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAuthenticity \u0026amp; Care\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarved 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eDelivery from Japan\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWrapped 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 \u003ca href=\"\/policies\/refund-policy\"\u003epublished policy\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"jp-closing\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eConsidered offers are welcome through Send an Offer, and each one is reviewed personally. More in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/japanese-netsuke-sagemono-inro\"\u003eNetsuke, Sagemono and Inro\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/japanese-okimono-figurines-statues\"\u003eOkimono, Figurines and Statues\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"jp-cta\" data-world=\"Japan Luxury Archive\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"jp-cta-eyebrow\"\u003eConcierge\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLooking for a particular subject, carver or companion piece? Our Hunting Salon™ locates it across Japan's private collector circles, then inspects, documents and delivers it to you. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/hunting-salon%E2%84%A2\"\u003eBegin a Hunting Salon™ request\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"jp-search\"\u003eCollectors also search: netsuke of a monkey in a conch shell · mammoth tusk netsuke from Japan · monkey netsuke\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Netsuke","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54482510446885,"sku":"JP-CL-W1129818022","price":1020.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0758\/8829\/6229\/files\/netsuke-of-a-monkey-emerging-from-a-conch-shell-with-netted-cord-mammoth-tusk-01.jpg?v=1794582596","url":"https:\/\/japonista.com\/products\/netsuke-of-a-monkey-emerging-from-a-conch-shell-with-netted-cord-mammoth-tusk","provider":"Japonista","version":"1.0","type":"link"}