A Japanese Carved Wood Okimono of a Kappa – Meiji
December 2012 Auction by Far East Asian Art

This is a charming wooden carving of one of Japan’s more interesting mythical creatures – the Kappa. The Kappa is seated next to a basket of cucumbers – his favorite food (next to small children) - and he is holding a jug of sake in his right hand. He has a sharply beaked face and the traditional depression in his head. The back of the Kappa is like a hard turtle shell. The piece measures 2 ¼” high by 2 ¼” wide by 1 ¾” deep...