Very unusual 19th century ivory netsuke of two rats on a wasabi root with a leaf. Wasabi apperas to be a very rare subject in netsuke. Excellent carving, dark red/brown staining, eyes of the rats are inlaid with black horn. Wonderful wear with protruding parts worn back to natural ivory color, very pleasant to the touch. Length 2 15/16 inches.
19th century ivory netsuke carved as a crouching tiger on a base. Great facial expression, beautiful fur texture, wonderful rhythm to the flow of the tail. Very nice staining and patina, eyes are cleverly left unstained, old age lines. Height 1 1/16 inches.
19th century boxwood netsuke of Daikoku comfortably seated on a brocade pillow. Daikoku is one of the 7 Gods of Good Fortune - that of abundance, and is usually associated with rice. Excellent quality carving with wonderful smiling face beautiful flow of his robe and precisely carved textile pattern. Great patina with superb sheen. Height 1 inch.
19th century Japanese wooden tonkotsu (tobacco box, or inro with just one compartment) with ojime and bamboo kiseruzutsu (tobacco pipe holder). The tonkotsu is keyaki (Zelkova tree of the elm family, native to Japan) wood in a shape of an 8-sided jar with perfectly fitting lid carved with 2 mushrooms on the top. Beautiful rhythm to the grain of the wood, fantastic patina from handling. Ojime is a piece of a bamboo stem. Kiseruzutsu is very cleverly made out of a natural twisted length of bamboo ...click for details
19th century ivory netsuke of a peasant mother enjoying a quiet smoke while seated on a back of a water buffalo led by a rope by one of her children, and accompanied by another carrying a rake and a sickle. Excellent carving perfectly capturing the tranquil mood of the scene, superb detailing - see their wonderful faces, rope, pipe and tobacco pouch, farm implements and finely incised clothing. Beautiful staining, excellent patina. Signed TOSHIYUKI on the bottom - for a discussion of the carver ...click for details
19th century ivory netsuke carved as a group of seals - three flat ones in a shape of a tripod, a double gourd and irregular shape, one in maple propeller shape, and one with finial in a shape of a shishi with a Buddhist bell. Beautifully and cleverly carved in the tradition of Asakusa school, great compact design, pleasant patina, nicely stained, old age lines. Excellent netsuke for a scholar to wear. Length 1 1/2 inches.
19th century boxwood netsuke carved as a group of five mushrooms. Excellent detailed carving, perfecly naturalistic shapes and textures, well balanced. Beautiful patina, himotoshi (cord hole) formed by natural opening provided by a stem of one of the mushrooms. Slight erotic connotation, as is usual with mushrooms in Japanese art. Signed TADASHIGE in ukibori (raised characters technique) in a rectangular reserve on the stem of the large mushroom. The artist was the most celebrated of the Nagoya ...click for details
Early 19th century ivory netsuke of a rooster and a chicken sitting on drum, and a hare crouching by its side. The piece is a Zodiac animal combination of the hours 5 to 7. The polished ends of the drum also represent the full moon associated with the Lunar Hare. Wonderful carving with great detailing - see differentiated feathers of the birds and raised nails on the drum. Beautiful wear and mellow patina, old age lines, very pleasant feel of age. Height 1 1/4 inches.
Ivory netsuke of a Bactrian camel with its head turned back and head placed between its 2 humps. Rare netsuke subject, superb compact design, extraordinary carving made out of beautiful even ivory. Amazing tranquil face with double inlaid eyes (light and dark horn), excellent depiction of its body bulk. Signed on the back KOSEI and HIDEYUKI in seal form by one of the best 20th century carvers. For a lengthy discussion of this superb master see LIVING MASTERS OF NETSUKE by Miriam Kinsey, pp. 39-4 ...click for details
19th century wooden netsuke of Hanasaka Jijii sitting on a tree stump with a basket of ashes in his lap, with a newly blossoming branches coming out of the stump. Hanasaka Jijii is a legendary person who made withered trees blossom by scattering the ashes of his beloved dog - for the legend of Hanasaka Jijii see H. Joly LEGEND IN JAPANESE ART, p. 189. Excellent crisp carving with great smiling face, beautifully carved textures of the stump and the basket. Flower buds are inlaid with ivory, wond ...click for details
