Description DEME UMAN: A WOOD MASK NETSUKE OF HANNYA NAMANARIJapan, 19th centuryFinely carved as the female demon Hannya, who still has a human appearance aside from two small horns, the jaw open, revealing teeth and fangs. The wood finely stained with details such as the eyes and teeth in gold and red pigments. The backside with himotoshi through the central bar which bears the artist signature Deme Uman Tenka ichi.HEIGHT 4 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor surface wear. Provenance: European collection.There are three emanations of hannya: namanari, chūnari, and honnari.Namanari hannya are kijo that still resemble human women. They have small horns and use dark magic to perform their evil deeds, such as summoning ikiryō to attack their enemies. They are not completely evil; there remains a chance for these beginner demons to return to humanity.