$20,000
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sold
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Description
17" (43 cm.) All carved wood in the classic hyper-realistic style characteristic of iki-ningyo, portraying a weary and wounded samurai warrior returning from battle, having darkened complexion, highly defined expression, human hair, inset bone teeth, glass eyes, separated toes, battle-scarred painted legs pierced by arrow shafts, his right hand on the pommel of a long sword which is being used for support, wearing a full suit of metal armature with leather details and silk lacing over a battle-stained hachimake, silk brocade under-kimono, helmet hanging at his back with mitsudomoe crest, sandals, carrying sword, arrows, and holding by its topknot the severed human head of his vanquished opponent, mounted on rosewood base. Generally excellent. Meiji era, mid/late 1800s. A series of hyper-realistic ningyo in large exhibition size had been made for some time in Japan, and then, toward the mid-1800s they were created in this smaller scale, designed for the developing Western market.