Vintage Ivory Japanese Netsuke of a Kappa (signed)

Home > Worthopedia – Price Guide > Ethnic, Folk & Native American Art >

Terms and Conditions for using our site

Vintage Ivory Japanese Netsuke of a Kappa (signed)

Sold For:

or Sign In to see what it's worth.

Sold Date: 07/15/2007
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Ethnic, Folk & Native American Art

Ok, we go again. Hopefully, the third time is a charm. This listing was first removed by Ebay because of an error that I made when selecting available shipping locations. I left my shipping option as "Worldwide" instead of changing them to " United States" . This was an error that caused the listing to be removed one day before it was to end. Please let me express my sincere apologies to the bidders that took their time to bid on the listing. I ended up re-listing the listing the next week, with the shipping options offering shipping to the United States only, and the listing was still removed for a second time. This was very frustrating to say the least. I spoke to the people at Ebay and learned that just changing my shipping settings to offer shipping to the, United States only is not enough. Apparently, I needed to delete the old selections for international shipping carriers that were automatically saved in the format from previous listings. I am not the only one experiencing problems with this, and as a result of Ebay's recent changes/upgrades to their new listing format, I have noticed many other ivory netsuke sellers are experiencing cancellations of their listings as well. I am explaining all of this to let potential bidders know that this listing and the item offered in it is legal in every way, and that it was only removed due to inadvertent technical errors in the listing that are the result of a new listing format that we as sellers are still adjusting to.

Vintage Ivory Japanese Netsuke of a Kappa (signed)

This is a really charming netsuke depicting a kappa (Japanese water nymph) riding a large catfish. I purchased this netsuke legally in the United States as pre-ban elephant ivory. However, I am not really much of an expert on ivory or netsuke so I am not exactly sure how to verify its actual composition. While it is hard pin down an exact age on a piece like this, it seems to have considerable yellowing to the patina that is consistent with that of other pieces from the early to mid 20 th century (circa 1930s). This netsuke is signed by the artist, and it looks to be in excellent condition with no breaks or losses. It measures 5 cm (2 inches) high . PLEASE NOTE: I can only offer shipping within the United States on this item ( US sales only).

The Kappa is a very interesting creature of Japanese myth. It is a creature that inhabits swamps, lakes, ponds, and slow moving rivers. A Kappa is a human-like amphibious creature with a taste for human blood. Kappas are no larger in size than that of a small 6 to 10 year old child. However, one should be warned not to ever underestimate a Kappa by its small size, as Kappas are said to possess the strength of 10 men, and have been known to take down horses and cattle. Kappas are also incredibly limber, and it is said that they are able to fully rotate their arm and leg joints. Knowing this, it is no surprise that Kappas are very fond of sumo wrestling.

A Kappa basically looks like a small monkey-man with a shell on its back and a bad "Moe" (from The Three Stooges) bobbed hair cut. They have webbed hands and feet, scaly skin, and a strange hairless depression on top of their head. It is in this saucer-like depression that they keep a small amount of water from their home. According to legend, the kappa draws its incredible strength from this small supply of water, which is carefully carried with him when he ventures out onto dry land. In addition, t are those that say that this small supply of water is not only responsible for the Kappa's powers, but also essential to its survival, and if it is lost, the Kappa must immediately return to its watery home or it will soon die.

Kappas are said to frequent places w roads or pathways run along side bodies of water. It is places like this w they lie in ambush, waiting for unsuspecting travelers. They leap out with lightning fast reflexes, grab their victim, and pull them into water, drowning them as they suck out all of their victimÃ¢â,¬â,,¢s bodily fluids....