ALEXANDER DERKACHENKO: A WOOD NETSUKE OF A CICADA ON A SKULLBy Alexander Derkachenko, signed with the artist’s markUkraine, 2023Finely carved as a skull with cavernous eye sockets, several fine parietal lines covering the cranium, one tooth missing from the upper jaw. A large cicada is perched on top, the eyes inlaid in horn. The back and underside with asymmetrical himotoshi, the underside incised with the artist’s signature.HEIGHT 3.6 cmCondition: Excellent condition.With an original mahogany storage box signed by the artist.Traditionally cicada netsuke were worn during the festival of Obon, honoring the dead.Memento mori (Latin for ‘remember that you will die’) is an artistic and symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death. Altogether sobering, and in some sense comforting, it’s an epitaph for the masses – commoners and kings alike. Such art, which already appeared in ancient cultures, is also associated with festivals in remembrance and honor of the deceased, as held by many peoples throughout the world. Skulls in Japan are considered to be a positive representation of the natural circle of life and can also represent change. The cicada is considered a symbol of longevity, eternal youth and even immortality.Auction comparison: Compare a related wood netsuke of a snake and skull by Alexander Derkachenko, 3.8 cm high, dated 2021, at Galerie Zacke, Fine Japanese Art, 27 May 2022, Vienna, lot 265 (sold for 3,792 EUR).