£813
Fine Asian & Islamic Works of Art | 617
Auction: 5 November 2020 at 14:00 GMT
明治 利一款 象牙雕'足長手長'置物
finely carved as a pair of figural group with the long-armed yōkai grabbing a crab from a long leg of the other, a weaved basket with crab on ground next to a stepped-on conch, the base set with mother-of-pearl and signed 'Toshikazu'
Provenance: Private Edinburgh collection
Note: These creatures were reputed to be inhabitants of the islands east of Shaku-sui, a ‘water ladle’ river, all fictions of the imagination. As they lived principally on fish, they found cooperation useful: Ashinaga would wade into the sea carrying Tenaga on his back so that the latter could reach down deep into the water to catch the fish and crabs.