Lot 369 | Large okimono of an egg tester

LARGE OKIMONO OF AN EGG TESTER.

Origin: Japan.
Dynasty: Meiji period.
Date: Ca. 1900.
Technique: Walruss tooth, assembled from parts.
Description: Standing on a plinth with tree stump and song birds. He carries a basket with eggs on his
shoulder and a smaller one on a stick in his hand.
Measurement: Height 52cm.
Signature: Underneath on red lacquer plate: Mitsuyuki.
Condition B. Smaller damages.


Literature:
Jirka-Schmitz, Patrizia: Netsuke - Japanese Belt Jewellery of the 18th to 20th Century from a West German Private Collection. Exhibition catalogue, Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf 1990, Düsseldorf 1990. For the depiction of professions see p.95f.
Rybalko, Svitlana: Lost Pages in the Japan's Art History, in: Asian Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities Chikusei, Japan, vol.1, no.2, May 2012, pp.124-133.

The masterly view of the curiously ordinary

The large okimono of an egg tester shows a standing man carrying a carrying basket with numerous eggs over his shoulder and holding an egg in front of his eye with his left hand. In Japan, it was customary to test the freshness of an egg by its degree of transparency and, of course, the integrity of the shell by holding the egg against the light.
Depictions of this type were extremely popular and were initially widespread in the field of netsuke. Especially unusual or curious professions were often chosen as motifs, such as the professional sneezer. But also the profession of the egg tester left enough room for narrative and somewhat humorous depictions, which captivate the viewer with small details and make him smile.
Even though these large okimonos were considered luxurious objects in Japan and were acquired with great interest by Western collectors, it is the artistic depiction of the slightly whimsical everyday that makes up their special charm and fascination.