The sleeping monk rests on a long mat that appears to be some type of rattan or rag rug from the carving. Every detail of the okimono is superbly carved – the peaceful young face of the sleeping monk – the mokugyo, the monk’s garments – even his slippers and the unusual mat on which he sleeps are rendered in lifelike detail. The piece measures 6 ¾” long – is 2 ½” high – and is 2 ½” wide. Despite its size, it weighs a full pound because of the density of wood.

The piece is in excellent condition with no chips or cracks. The one unusual feature is the tiny ivory plug – 1 32nd of an inch - at the rear left side of his head. Perhaps it was used to fill in a flaw in the wood. The patina is great with the lighter colored boxwood having darkened with age and handling to give is a glowing presence. It is not signed. We date it to the late Edo to very early Meiji period - circa 1825 – 1870s. It is a masterpiece of wood carving worthy of any museum’s collection.

Boxwood, the hardwood of choice for Japanese carvers, is usually carved into smaller items such as netsuke and okimono. Boxwood is a very dense wood with a smooth surface, delicate texture and grand color of milky-yellow. The color turns darker as time goes by, thus giving a feeling of elegance and beauty – boxwood is favored for its fine grain and durability. Because of its weight, it is also possible that the wood used in this piece is ironwood.

A Japanese: mokugyo is sometimes known as a Chinese block, is a wooden percussion instrument similar to the Western wood block .The wooden fish is used by monks and laity in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. It is often used during rituals usually involving the recitation of sutras, mantras, or other Buddhist texts. The wooden fish is mainly used by Buddhist disciples in China, Japan, Korea, and other East Asian countries where the practice of Mahayana, such as the ceremonious reciting of sutras, is prevalent. In most Zen/Ch'an Buddhist traditions, the wooden fish serves to keep the rhythm during sutra chanting. The instrument is carved with fish scales on its top, and a carving of two fish heads embracing a pearl on the handle (to symbolize unity), hence the instrument is called a wooden fish for that reason. In Buddhism the fish, which never sleeps, symbolizes wakefulness. Therefore, it is to remind the chanting monks to concentrate on their sutra.