Ittōbori Camphor Wood Carving of a Figure Embracing a Sea Bream
This vintage Japanese wood carving, in traditional folk-art style, depicts a figure clasping a large sea bream. Using the natural warm brown of the wood, the carver shaped the facial features, clothing, posture and the outline of the fish directly with simple, forceful cuts. There is no elaborate painting, which instead brings out the grain of the wood and the rustic beauty peculiar to ittōbori carving. The figure holds a strikingly large sea bream in both arms, body leaning slightly forward, forming a compact, stable triangular composition with the fish. The face is simplified into geometric planes, the eyes gently closed and the expression calm; the headwear, clothing and body are likewise finished with broad planar cuts, creating a very distinctive Japanese folk-carving style.