Okimono: Samurai

"A Japanese boxwood okimono (a decorative sculpture) of a very detailed Samurai, late Meiji period, signed Kogetsu, 9" high, fine patina.

Boxwood (Buxus michrophylia) is termed a "hardwood." It is a very close-grained dense yellowish brown hardwood. (Hardwood comes from an angiospermous tree.)

Samurai: A Japanese term used to describe the military nobility which played a very important role in the feudal society in Japan. Beginning with the Kamakura period, they became the dominant class. They had a code of behavior (businde) which played an important role in Japanese ethics. Many Samurai were patrons of the arts, and some actually became artists. Their military exploits, their impressive appearance when attired in armor and weapons, and their adventures have been subjects of Japanese art." - Bernie McManus, Appraiser, Woodbury House, Connecticut, 10/23/1999

The Meiji Restoration began in 1868, returning Japan to direct imperial rule under the emperor Meiji after the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate, ending with his death in 1912. - D. Schrishuhn, registrar, 9/20/2000

Photo: "21st Century Museum Visitors & Digital Museum Resources", 12/16/2005.