A WOOD NETSUKE OF HANKAIJapan, late 19th centuryFinely carved as Hankai standing in full armor, his feet placed wide apart dynamically, his expression forceful, holding a door with a grimacing face in his hand. His pupils are inlaid and the asymmetrical himotoshi are found in the back.HEIGHT 4.7 cmCondition: Excellent condition with minor surface wear.Provenance: European collection.Hankai (Chinese: Fan Kuai, died around 200 B.C.) was one of the first followers of the Han Dynasty and minister of the emperor Kan no Koso. The legend describes how Hankai prevented an assassination attempt on the emperor by the villain Gao Yu. When Hankai heard about the planned attack, he kicked the hall door in and stormed the room with a door leaf under his arm. Afterwards he enabled the emperor to escape by a trick. Notes RefButton1