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Fisherman with Basket and Net
Japan, Meiji Period (18681912)
Carved ivory. Height: 16 3/4 in. (43 cm)
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Frederick Baekeland. 78.104.1
After the Meiji Restoration (1868), many traditional artisans lost their
patrons and were forced to re-shape their artistic activities in order to
adjust to Western concepts of art that began to affect late nineteenth-century
Japanese aesthetics. Among the most popular new artisans in the Meiji era
were the ivory carvers. Large ivory carving quickly developed in the 1880s
and lasted for about a decade. Especially welcomed by foreigners, Meiji
ivory sculpture became the most popular Japanese craft at the world expositions
as well as in the Western market. This particular piece was most likely
an export object made in response to these new demands.
The fisherman with basket depicted here is a typical example of Meiji period
hyperrealism, as witness the very subtle expression on the face and the
clearly tense musculature of the body. The Meiji artists used their highly
skilled techniques to simulate the texture of real objects: a slab of wood,
the net, baskets, robes, and reed-plaited outer wrapping. The fisherman
is carved from a single large block of ivory, while the basket, fishnet,
and base are separately carved and added.
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