Netsuke, Tôbôsaku, 19th century

Ivory

Height3,2 cm

Status

on display, room 008

About the workThe figure of Toposaku, nicknamed the "peach thief", is one of the so-called "immortals" in Chinese philosophy. They represent the different conditions of life such as youth, old age, poverty, wealth. There are various practices to attain the status of immortality, including eating a rare variety of peach. As small figures, called Netsuke, they were used as counterweights to attach containers for medicine, tobacco or money to the belt of the kimono, known as the "obi". Predominantly made of ivory and boxwood, the objects were first created in the seventeenth century and evolved into status symbols.

AccessionGift of Bruno Werdelmann 2004

Provenance[...]; bis 25.10.2004 Prof. Dr. Dr. hc. Bruno Werdelmann (1920 – 2010), Ratingen; 25.10.2004 erworben durch Schenkung von Bruno Werdelmann

Inventory numberP 2005-41

Contact

sammlung@kunstpalast.de

Permalink

https://sammlung.kunstpalast.de/en/objects/52326/netsuke-tobosaku

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