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a black and gold cane with a wooden handle on a white backgroundan image of a wooden stick with a clock on top of ita close up of a cane with a wooden handle on a white backgroundan old wooden walking stick with a carved head on itan image of a wooden stick with a carved head on it
Templum Fine Art Auctions

275 - Zoomorphic musician’s staff with netsuke. Japanese School. 1…
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Estimate €250 - €500
Sale commission
Description
Zoomorphic musician’s staff with netsuke. Japanese School. 19th century Polished ebony wood, finely carved, and mounted on metal. Measures 90 x 4 cm. This small walking stick is topped with a Japanese netsuke carved as a zoomorphic figure dressed in a flowing robe and holding a circular drum attached to the front. The figure, sculpted in the round, combines a compact, vertical silhouette with meticulous modelling of the folds, headdress and instrument, whose linear details lend narrative vibrancy. The reverse side shows the knot of the garment and the continuity of the drapery, confirming that it was designed to be viewed from multiple angles. The warm ivory tone of the finial contrasts with the dark depth and satin finish of the ebony, whilst the metal ferrule acts as a transition between the two materials. The humorous iconography of the humanised, musical animal draws on the 19th-century Japanese netsuke tradition, in which popular scenes, fantastical beings and theatrical figures were rendered with extraordinary inventiveness in miniature formats. The quality of the carving, the expressiveness of the figure, and the integration of the finial into a functional object make the piece a fine example of Japonisme collecting and the dialogue between function and portable sculpture.
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About the sale GRAND JULY AUCTION | OLD MASTERS, HAUTE ÉPOQUE & FINE JEWELLERY
Auction location
Auction time 07/28/2026 at 4:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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