Donor: Estate of Geraldine C. and Kernan Robson - Hearst Museum Portal Search Results

Start Over Donor Estate of Geraldine C. and Kernan Robson

Hearst Museum object titled Netsuke, accession number 9-7931, described as Netsuke: barefoot bald man holding a staff with rings in his right hand, an open fan in his left. 4.9 cm. ••According to the donor's catalog: "Netsuke in ivory of a man, standing. He is bald-robed—and-bare-footed. In his right hand he holds a shakujo (a staff with rings) and in his left an open large fan—which semi-conceals his face—which is smiling. This Daimon was the original ventriloquist. The Nanuta Bushi (orginally Fushi, meaning musical) is the ventriloquist evolution from Fushi—meaning musical— Nanuta, the old name for Osaka in distinction from Edo Bushi (Tokyo) the rural school of ventriloquists. The Buddhist priests used to carry a shakujo to warn the insects on their paths against being crushed by their bare feet—the feet bare also to lessen the danger to the insects. The ventriloquist shakes his shakujo to warn his audience of the approaching joke and laughs behind his fan—for the approaching joke, it being considered by the Japanese bad taste to laugh openly, in the face of someone else. It also is considered bad taste ever to point with the finger—it must be done with some object held in the hand (like a pen). Notice: Image restricted due to its potentially sensitive nature. Contact Museum to request access.

Hearst Museum object titled Netsuke, accession number 9-7729, described as Netsuke: tall man holding frog on left shoulder.

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