Bone netsuke of a skull

An unsigned bone netsuke of a skull resting against a broken grave post (sotoba), inscribed “Amidabutsu”, a chant to the Amida Buddha. Typically of popular Japanese aesthetics, there is a humour around death, the skull’s features far more kawaii (cute) than kowai (scary).

Provenance:
Walter Lionel Behrens collection, (1816-1913)
Albert Brockhaus collection, (1855-1921)
Sold at Gendining’s, London 1st December 1913

Width: 3.6cm