JUGYOKU: A FINE INLAID WOOD NETSUKE OF BENKEI INSIDE HORAGAIBy Ryukosai Jugyoku, signed Jugyoku 壽玉Japan, Edo (Tokyo), first half of 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The hero Benkei nestled within a large horagai conch, wearing traditional yamabushi garments and a tokin cap, embellished with inlays of bone and ebony, holding prayer beads, one of the beads inlaid in coral. The expression with minutely inlaid eyes is expertly crafted and the surface of the conch is naturalistically rendered with ridged and polished areas. Large himotoshi, the smaller hole rimmed with ebony wood in the form of floral medallion and signed within an inlaid ebony plaque JUGYOKU – the artist was a master of combining various materials.LENGTH 5.7 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor expected surface wear and traces of use, some light surface scratches and age cracks.The yamabushi were renegade mountain priests of the Shingon Tantric Buddhist sect, who used the conch to communicate their movements in the mountain wilderness.