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unsigned ivory netsuke
early 19th century
Inari fox and tama
height 2 1/2 in., 6.5 cm
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the rice diety dances on its hind legs holding a tama (sacred jewel) up on its right shoulder. its rounded stomach bulges out over the sturdy legs and its bushy tail reaches up to its shoulder, the smooth ivory bears good patina
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It is relatively unusual to find an example of a fox carrying a tama (sacred jewel); its power as a deity is considerable but it appears to have borrowed the sacred attribute from the celestial dragon. The dancing fox is supposed to have glanced at its reflection in the water, where it appears as a beautiful young girl. In this depiction the rice deity Inari fox has merged its identity with that of the fox trickster. early 19th century
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Published:
Expressions of Style: Netsuke as Art, Scholten Japanese Art, New York, August 2001, no. 109
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$8,000
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