19th century netsuke carved as a theatrical mask of a SHOJO - mythical creatures living near the sea who are particularly fond of sake. Wonderful quality carving on ichii (Japanese yew wood) with clever use of wood texture to add to the charm of the piece, that being typical for the Hida school of netsuke carvers. Very nice tranquil face, beautiful staining and patina, old losses by its left eyebrow and on the right upper side on the back as can be seen on photos...

19th century 2-toned ichii (yew wood) netsuke of a seated chubby puppy. Netsuke is skillfully carved in characteristic Hida school ittobori (one cut) style with clever use of wood color and structure to add to the charm of the piece. Wonderful face with surprised expression, eyes are inlaid with black horn, wonderful mellow patina. Signed SUKENORI on the bottom - for information on the artist see NETSUKE & INRO ARTISTS AND HOW TO READ THEIR SIGNATURES by George Lazarnick, p. 1048...

1800's, finely hand-carved Japanese mix-materials netsuke depicting an Entertainer or Dancer, who is standing on one leg, in the middle of a theatrical performance. He is wearing an Usobuki mask and a dancer's robe. Excellent detail and patination; he grimaces as he attempts to lift the large stone. Signed Hozan on his Obi, near the ribbon that ties it on his back. Netsuke measures 1.04 inches (2.6cm) wide, and 1.56 inches (4.0cm) tall...

19th century Japanese small lacquered wood netsuke representing a theatrical mask of demon Hannya. Excellent intense face, crisp detailing, nicely lacquered, great patina, some wear to the surface. Signed RYUUN on the back bar - the artist is listed in NETSUKE MASKS by Raymond Bushell, p. 175, signatures 241-243. Height 1.14 inches.

Height: 5.3 cm (2.1 in)
Width: 2.4 cm (0.9 in)
Depth: 2.1 cm (0.7 in)

Quality Japanese wooden netsuke of a standing Sennin holding a peach; lovely patina; wear to left ear; good condition

19th century wooden netsuke of a turtle with its head and limbs hidden inside the carapace. Elegant strong carving, wonderful rhythm to the sections of the carapace, beautiful depiction of the creature. Central plastron on the back is removable and has a hole at the lower tip that serves as himotoshi. Wonderful patina, very pleasant to handle. Length 1.6 inches.

19th century staghorn ojime (slide bead for tightening the cord going from netsuke to inro) carved in a shape of a gourd with leaf. Good design, green staining, natural imperfections in staghorn, overall in very good condition. Height 11/16 inches.

Early to mid- 19th century netsuke representing nio (one of the Buddhist Guardian Kings) sitting on a huge old straw sandal and mending it with a rope. Excellent carving, beautifully stained, wonderful wear and patina. Signed TOMOCHIKA in oval reserve on the bottom - the artist is Tomochika the First as discussed on p. 1148 of NETSUKE & INRO ARTISTS AND HOW TO READ THEIR SIGNATURES by George Lazarnick. Height 1.2 inches.

19th century wooden netsuke representing a theater mask of a man with round bulging eyes and rather insane grin. Probably the mask is that of Kentoku. Crisp detailing, wonderfully captured madness. Height 1 3/4 inches.

19th century boxwood netsuke of Okame holding a setsubun bean box in one hand and throwing beans with the other. Setsubun is performed during the New Year by throwing beans around the house to exorcise the evil spirits. Excellent carving with wonderful face and beautifully incised textile pattern of pine saplings, expert staining, beautiful mellow patina. Signed HIROTSUGU on the back - the artist is listed on p. 469 of NETSUKE & INRO ARTISTS AND HOW TO READ THEIR SIGNATURES by George Lazarnick...

Japanese Wood Compass Ojime, 19th C. Meiji period, 3/4" diameter round, 3/8" deep, front part has glass front, needle is moving, holes on both side for cord go through, back is rounded solid wood with double circles. Ojime is the small object with very interesting and humorous design go through the cord between Netsuke and Inro.

Very unusual 19th century lacquered wood sashi type netsuke carved in a shape of a cloud dragon with its head turned back onto itself, its neck forming himotoshi. Does not photograph well, impressive when handled. Elegant and clever carving, all 4 legs are in different positions, nice rendition of its face and hair. Wood is lacquered in Negoro style - red lacquer over black, so as it wears the black starts showing, gold lacquer highlights, excellent wear and patina on the surface...

19th century netsuke of an oni holding an octopus on its shoulder. Wonderful, probably unique subject, great carving, both characters bear a surprised expression, excellent patina. Height 1.6 inches

19th century kagamibuta (“mirror lid”) netsuke, its top carved in low relief with a seated boy wearing rich robe decorated with coin pattern and holding a butterfly net in his hand. Wonderful depiction of robe lines, elegantly incised textile decoration. Beautiful patina, swinging metal loop at the back for the cord. Diameter 1 1/4 inches.

19th century Asakusa school staghorn / bone netsuke carved as 2 sprays of fungus growing on a tree stump. Superb elegant carving in Japanese taste, excellent rendition of fungus head textures. Very clever design, excellent wear and patina on the surface. Height 2 1/2 inches.

19th century Japanese ojime (slide bead for tightening the cord going from netsuke to inro) carved out of a fruit pit as a mother monkey eating a fruit with 3 babies loitering in her arms while a teenager climbed on her back and is eating a smaller fruit on her head. Wonderfully captured mood of the scene, very nice carving with great level of detail, wonderful faces, pleasant mellow patina. Height 1 inch.

19th century kagamibuta (mirror lid) netsuke with multimetal disc worked in low relief scene of a man drawing water from a well, his wooden bucket next to him. Excellent crisp work, wonderful face, gilding, inlaid copper bucket, great patina. Beautifully turned marine material (walrus tusk) bowl with excellent patina. Disc diameter 1 5/16 inches, bowl diameter 1 7/8 inches.

Unusual 19th century netsuke of a cloth Daruma doll with wonderful inquisitive face and a shaped opening on the back with anabori (cavern carving) of a palace with a procession of scholars crossing a bridge and pavilions in the back. The cavern is carved unusually deep, and pavilions in the back are very well defined, almost impossible to photograph properly. Excellent face with horn inlaid convex eyes, beautiful stippling defining the texture of its cloth body, wonderful functional shape...