† AN EARLY WOOD NETSUKE DEPICTING ONIWAKAMARU BATTLING THE GIANT CARPUnsigned Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Well carved to depict the young Benkei standing over the huge carp, grabbing it by the gills and standing on its fins, wearing only a loincloth, his muscular body boldly carved and eyes inlaid, the fish detailed with round eyes and large scales, the underside with two himotoshi, one of which is surrounded by a neatly incised whirl. LENGTH 4.5 cmCondition: Very good condition, attractively worn, one minor age crack, few tiny nicks. Superb, smooth patina with a nice feel. Provenance: A noted private collection, USA. The back of one of Kintaro’s legs with an old label with a typewritten inscription, ‘II7’. Oniwakamaru or ‘young devil child’ was the nickname given to the young warrior monk Musashibo Benkei (1155-1189) because of his enormous strength and violent nature. This netsuke shows the young boy attacking and slaying the giant red carp that swallowed his mother.13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer’s premium – only for buyers within the EU.