Large Japanese Signed Okimono. Finely carved wood of a pumpkin with mouse peering out of a hole from within and a lizard waiting outside. Excellent color and patina. 

Size: 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. 

#7154 . 

Okimono is a Japanese term meaning “ornament for display/objet d’art/decorative object” variously. It is typically displayed in a tokonoma (recessed) alcove or butsudan (Buddhist shrine) altar. An okimono may be a small Japanese carving similar to but larger than a netsuke. Unlike netsuke, which have a specific purpose, okimono are purely decorative and only for displaying. There is some scholarly debate, however, that suggests that okimono often had both utilitarian and decorative purposes before Western influences spread through Japan. An okimono can be made out of wood, ivory, ceramic or metal, with one of the most common kinds called “jizai,” an articulated figure often made out of bronze or iron. Okimono are normally not larger than a few inches, and depict all sorts of animals, mythological beasts, humans, gods, fruit, vegetables and objects, sometimes combined with each other, in countless positions. Sometimes a scene is portrayed as well, either a famous incident or simply a slice of everyday life. During the Meiji period many okimono were made for export to the West. One of the most renowned artists in the area of metalwork was Yamada Sōbi (1871-1916), who was famous for making intricate pieces out of a single sheet of metal.