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a skull that is sitting on a black surfacea close up of a human skull on a black backgroundtwo human skulls are shown on a black background, one is a skull and the other is a human skull
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16 - Nishikawa Suketsugu 西川亮次
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Estimate €5,000 - €7,000
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Description
Nishikawa Suketsugu 西川亮次 (active in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, during the Meiji period) Okimono depicting a human skull Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912) Carved boxwood Signed Suketsugu 亮次 7.8 (h) cm This remarkable okimono depicts a human skull rendered with remarkable anatomical accuracy. The deeply recessed eye sockets, the nasal cavity, the zygomatic arches and the teeth are rendered with great precision, whilst the surface of the wood is enlivened by very fine dotwork evoking the porous texture of the bone. Despite its small size, the work possesses a striking presence and bears witness to the virtuosity of Meiji-period Japanese sculptors in observation and naturalistic rendering. Nishikawa Suketsugu worked in Nagahama, in Shiga Prefecture. He is particularly renowned for his exceptionally realistic carps, created through careful observation of the fish in Lake Biwa. This same keen eye is evident here in a very different context, where the study of natural form is applied to human anatomy. The subject of the skull, unusual in the artist’s body of work, lends this piece a meditative quality which, to a Western eye, may evoke the tradition of memento mori, whilst remaining, above all, a masterful demonstration of naturalistic sculpture.
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About the sale Art Animation VII: Monsters, Villains and Antagonists
Auction location
Auction time 10/18/2026 at 3:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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