Small, Vintage, Japanese/Japan carved Hermit Mask High Quality, Fine Details

Here is a fine little Japanese Hermit mask. Carved in a high quality aged, renown yew wood, overlayed with a traditional shellac. Appears to be Yew wood (poisonous to sand), done in a traditional Ichii-itto-bori Technique to highlight the rich grains. Ichii-itto-bori carving is a woodcraft technique that involves carving yew wood using only chisels, and was developed by a netsuke master, Matsuda Sukenaga.

Matsuda was from the Hida region of Japan. Ichii-itto carving is characterized by a fine grain, due to the growth rings of the yew tree which are very fine. The wood is left uncolored in order to highlight this grain; Ichii-itto carving was designated a traditional craft in Japan in 1975.

Probably circa 1960s, given the fine carving and attention to details, and general appearance of the aged shellac. Exceptional details, and attention to detail Notice the attention to detail in carving out the backside i.

Eye-sockets on a mask not even meant to be worn! Not signed, but rather inscribed with the Japanese word for either Hermit or Mountain Folk etc. Notice the symbol that literally looks like the vertical peak of a...

Lovely aesthetics including the over-sized "Buddha" earlobes. Try and not to loose scope of scale here - pictures are close-up of something rather small. This is a finely carved example what would have been prized by its original owner.

Approximately 5 inches (12.7cm) x 3 inches (7.6cm). Some of my masks from my collection are posted. Check out my other items. The item "Small, Vintage, Japanese/Japan carved Hermit Mask High Quality, Fine Details" is in sale since Friday, April 4, 2014. This item is in the category "Antiques\Asian Antiques\Japan\Netsuke". The seller is "maskmonger" and is located in Freeport, Maine. This item can be shipped worldwide.

• Type: mask
• Region of Origin: Japan
• Age: Post-1940
• Primary Material: Wood
• Original/Reproduction: Original
• Color: Brown