By Ono Ryomin II, signed Ono
Japan, Edo/Tokyo, late 19th century

The three young boys engaged in a playful scuffle, one on the ground struggling to break free from the boy sitting on his chest and gripping his neck, a mask lying on the ground beside them, the third standing behind and holding a rattle, his robe with a red inlay at the back, the underside with the boys’ feet as well as a kinchaku pouch, the robe signed on the underside ONO – Ono Ryomin II being a pupil of the famous Ono Ryomin. A lively and dynamic scene with many ‘natural’ himotoshi and very characteristic of the Tokyo school.

HEIGHT 3.8 cm

Condition: Excellent condition with minor surface wear.
Provenance: Spanish private collection.

Auction comparison:
A related netsuke by Ono Ryomin was sold in these rooms, Fine Netsuke, Sagemono & Okimono, 2 November 2019, Vienna, lot 36 (sold for 4,514 EUR).

Literature comparison:
Another netsuke of this artist, with a similar subject, dated to the Meiji period (1868-1912), is in the collection of the British Museum, museum number HG.23.

This item contains or is made from elephant ivory 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. Please note that in compliance with EU regulation effective January 19th, 2022, all items carved from elephant ivory before 1947 must carry a legal trade permit issued by the Austrian ministry of trade, or any other appropriate authority within the European Union. For this reason, any sale of such item can only be concluded after such permit has been granted. All payments made prior to the issuance of the respective permit will be held in escrow until the application for the permit has been approved. Please note that according to EU regulation it may take up to 3 months until the permit has been granted. In case the permit is declined, or not granted after 3 months, the payment will be returned to the client immediately.