Project Description

Wood Netsuke of Daruma, by Hogen Tadayoshi

A slightly worn wood version of the model

Signed in ukibori Nagoya. Circa 1850

Height: 4.8 cm

Provenance:

Sale, Sotheyb’s London, 16th July 1973, lot 79

Bought by Saul Rosenbaum

Since in his family

Traditionally these have been described as representations of tin click toys, a notion supported by the scalloped edge visible around the side of the netsuke. However, my attention has been brought more recently to the hifuki Daruma, a copper device for helping to keep a charcoal fire burning.  For more information, follow the link: https://oldphotosjapan.substack.com/p/how-japan-kept-the-fire-burning. For me the jury is still out

MR5099