ANTIQUE FULLY ARTICULATED BONE OKIMONO OF A SPINY LOBSTER

ANTIQUE FULLY ARTICULATED BONE OKIMONO OF A SPINY LOBSTER

Meiji period

LENGTH: (without extended antennae) 13 inches / 33 cm
Stock number: GR7114/0121
Price: £2250

An antique Japanese fully articulated bone okimono of a spiny lobster. The spiny lobster (ebi) is entirely carved from bone with many joined and fully articulated segments. The crustacean has long spiny antennae, ten legs, mandibles, a segmented body and a fan shaped tail. The lobster is signed underneath, but I have been unable to read this. The composition is very naturalistic and even when touching the okimono, the sound it makes resembles the crawling of the crustacean on the seabed.