Ivory netsuke of Kwanyu with an halberd

Height: 11.9 cm

A rare tall netsuke representing a chinese figure holding a halberd. The iconography is puzzling and interesting: the presence of the helberd immediately would suggest a portrait of Kwanyu, the mithical Chinese general of the later Han Dynasty, but the strong facial expression and the quite short beard do not quite match his usual attributes, generally represented with a severe expresisone while holding in his hand his long beard.

Netsuke for sale. Price on application. Please include item stock number: net-800