A Japanese Tokyo School ivory figure of a samurai, standing…
click the photo to enlarge
A Japanese Tokyo School ivory figure of a samurai, standing wearing robes decorated with clan mon, he grasps his katana in his right hand, his wakizashi thrust through his belt, a signalling baton held in his hand and concealed behind his back. Finished in pigment and light staining. Raised seal tablet (Shibasui?) under the base, height 15 cm.

You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.

Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item

When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

This item has been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.
  • Ivory - Ivory is a hard white material that comes from the tusks of elephants, mammoth, walrus and boar, or from the teeth of hippopotamus and whales. The ivory from the African elephant is the most prized source of ivory. Although the mammoth is extinct, tusks are still being unearthed in Russia and offered for sale.

    Ivory has been used since the earliest times as a material for sculpture of small items, both in Europe and the east, principally China and Japan.

    In Asia ivory has been carved for netsuke, seals, okimono, card cases, fan supports, animals and other figures and even as carved tusks.

    In the last 200 years in Europe ivory has been used to carve figures, for elaborate tankards, snuff boxes, cane handles, embroidery and sewing accessories, in jewellery and as inlay on furniture. Its more practical uses include being used for billiard balls, buttons, and a veneers on the top of piano keys.

    The use and trade of elephant ivory have become controversial because they have contributed to Due to the decline in elephant populations because of the trade in ivory, the Asian elephant was placed on Appendix One of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), in 1975, and in January 1990, the African elephant was similarly listed. Under Appendix One, international trade in Asian or African elephant ivory between member countries is forbidden. Unlike trade in elephant tusks, trade in mammoth tusks is legal.

    Since the invention of plastics, there have been many attempts to create an artificial ivory
  • Mon - A mon is a Japanese heraldic emblem, indicating the status or the family of the owner, similar to a family crest. Nowadays almost all Japanese families and many businesses have a mon.

    In decorative arts, mon are used as a decorative element on a vase, plate, bowl or item of furniture.

This item has been included into following indexes:

Visually similar items

A Goldscheider figure of a Moor, Austrian early 20th century, inscribed Friedrich Goldscheider, wien and numbered 1355/8932, 12, 77 cm high

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A Goldscheider figure of a Moor, Austrian early 20th century, inscribed Friedrich Goldscheider, Wien and numbered 1355/8932, 12, 77 cm high

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A Royal Dux porcelain figure group of a shepherd and companion, circa 1900, 43 cm high

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

Antique French polychrome terracotta statue of the Virgin Mary, 173 cm high

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.