Fox Priest

ANTIQUE JAPANESE NETSUKE

A superb boxwood carving of the Fox transforming himself in to the priest Hyakuzosu.

Tall and slender a fox (kitsune)has transformed himself into a priest.
He is wearing a hood (hanada boshi) of the type worn by priests of the Buddhist Tendai school.
His forepaws, human hands are holding the bamboo staff, his feet too are those of a human being.
The foxes face with slant eyes has a malicious and sly expression.

The representation is an allusion to the main character in the Kyogen play Tsurigitsune, the Fox Trap.
A sly fox transforms himself into a priest called Hyakuzôsu. His hood drawn over his head and equipped with a staff he appears before hunters warning them not to catch foxes, because they can turn themselves into human beings in revenge on those who hunt them.

Legend also has it that vixens can transform themselves into young girls in order to seduce men in this guise and rob them

Formerly the property of a Japanese collector.

Please refer to the images for details as they also form the description.

Depending on your computer monitor / phone / etc colour may vary to actual

Condition: Excellent. Aged patina.

Unsigned:
Himotoshi: Back

Height: 9.9 cm
Length: 2.9cm
Depth: 2.4 cm

A$1500

Comparable Pieces in Ivory & Wood.

Davey 1974/1982 Page 318 # 972.

Eskanazi 1998 Page 30 # 21

Okada 1980 Page 49 # 49

Trumpf Collection Early Netsuke Page 83