A JAPANESE WOOD 'THE THREE WISE MONKEYS' OKIMONO

Circa 1900

Carved separately and glued together as three seated simians with shell-inlaid eyes, their fur chiselled with great detail and faces with focussed expression, illustrating the proverbial principle 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil', traditionally called: Mizaru covering his eyes, Kikazaru protecting his ears, and Iwazaru with paws at his mouth, singed Saijin on a small horn plaque set to the underside

11.5cm high, 20.5cm long