**Originally Listed At $1600**

East Asia, Japan, Meiji Dynasty, ca. 19th to early 20th century CE. This is a fine hand carved wooden tonkotsu (tobacco container) and kiseruzutsu (pipe holder), featuring the squat figure of Daruma as the container and a slender man as the kiseruzutsu. A kiseru is a type of pipe for smoking, and when turned over, the man's back has a shallow groove for the pipe stem and his arms would cup the pipe's mouthpiece, while the cavity on at his feet is a slot for the pipe receptacle. The obverse is threaded with a cord just below his neck, and his shirt is inlaid with glass seed bead buttons. The cord runs through the raised hands of Daruma, who is seated with his legs folded before his rotund body. The cord passes through the tonkotsu interior and attaches to verso of Daruma's face which forms the tonkotsu lid. His expressive visage is inlaid with nacre eyes, his mouth gaping as he yawns. Size: 3" W (7.6 cm); 16.5" H (41.9 cm) on included custom stand; Daruma only: 3" L x 2" W x 4" H (7.6 cm x 5.1 cm x 10.2 cm); kiseruzutsu only: 8" L x 1" W (20.3 cm x 2.5 cm)

Daruma is based off Bodhidhawma (5th to 6th century CE) a monk and founder for Zen Buddhism. During his travels he decided to rest in cave to meditate and sat staring at the cave wall for 9 years - however after only 7 years he fell asleep (or blinked), and he was so upset with this lapse in discipline he cut his own eyelids off, and they fell to the ground where they sprouted into green tea plants. Drinking green tea is a reminder of this tale and why monks drink this tea to stay awake. Here Daruma is yawning and stretching, presumably "waking up" after his brief 9 years meditating.

Ashinaga is a yokai spirit depicted with long legs and fittingly his name translates to "Long Legs." The kiseruzutsu may be a representation of this slender spirit. Usually, Ashinaga is depicted with his counterpart, Tenaga "Long Arms," and together they form the spirit known as Ashinagatenaga; Tenaga will climb on to the back of Ashinaga, and Ashinaga would stand in the water, his legs keeping them both above the surface so Tenaga can reach out and grab fish with his long arms.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, 1995 to 2010; ex-private Micklautz collection, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, collected from 1940-1998

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#168271

The kiseruzutsu has stable pressure fissures and loss to one inlaid glass bead. Great patina throughout. The Daruma container has a weathered body and chipping to black pigments. The arms and legs are reinforced with adhesive, but one arm is slightly loose. Face has great details.