On View
Not on viewObject number2014.95
Hibachi Netsuke
Artist
Ouchi Sosui
(Japanese, 1911-1972)
Date20th century CE
Mediumboxwood and ebony with inlay
DimensionsOverall: 1 1/8 × 1 5/8 × 1 in. (2.9 × 4.1 × 2.5 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mary Meader
Exhibition History"The Arts of China and Japan: Selections from the Collection," KIA Joy Light Gallery of Asian Art (Dec. 15, 2012 - June 9, 2013).
"Lasting Legacy: A Collection for Kalamazoo," Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, Michigan (Sep. 6, 2014 - Jan. 4, 2015).
"Through the Years" KIA Galleries 2 & 5 (January 29 - April 30, 2021).Label TextSosui, of the “So” school favored by Japanese collectors, was one of the foremost netsuke carvers of the 20th century. He was known for using a combination of woods, as in this piece. A seated holy man (in boxwood) blows on a fire in a hibachi grill
(in ebony), while reaching into a tobacco pouch. The rosary on his ear, his tobacco pipe, and the fire
are all inlaid.
