A JAPANESE IVORY NETSUKE MEIJI 1868-1912 Depicting a Nio and an oni

A JAPANESE IVORY NETSUKE

MEIJI 1868-1912

Depicting a Nio and an oni, the Buddhist guardian god lying on his side and the demon applying moxa to his leg, the Nio wearing a coat decorated with stylised clouds and with ribbons floating around him, the details crisply carved, with a two character signature to the back, possibly for Harunaga, 5cm.

Moxibustion is a Chinese therapy based on the same principles as acupuncture. According to it, applying dried mugwort leaves on specific pressure points would restore the balance in the qi (life energy). This oni is probably repentant as moxibustion was part of the ordination process for Buddhist monks in Japan.