Sectional ivory figure of Japanese crab fisherman carring a basket of crabs supported by his right arm, another crab in his left hand and one at his feet.
Signed on the underside of the base.
Okinomo are standing ornaments or figures, larger than nesuke which had a specific purpose. Okinomo are purely decorative. Following Commodore Perry's expeditions of 1852-3 and 1854, the Tokugawa Shogunate collapsed and with the restoration of imperial rule, (Meiji Restoration), western dress and habits became commonplace. Tradition ivory carvers, deprived of their traditional work of netsuke production, survived by producing okinomo, much of which were exported to the west.
Some minor shrinkage cracks.
Good condition.