MATSUSHITA OTOMAN
An ivory netsuke of the strong man Asahina no Saburo taunting his oni opponent after a bout or practice session of neck-wrestling (kubi-hiki). He demonstrates his vastly superior strength by pulling at the defeated oni and tugging him off the floor, merely by tucking the cloth behind his elbow.

Signed: Otoman, engraved using the smaller three-character signature.

Hakata, circa 1830

Width: 2 1/8 in., 5.4 cm.

Ex collections: Raymond and Frances Bushell, Tokyo and San Francisco; James M. Hennen, Lookout Mountain TN