Catalog (1369)

19th century wooden netsuke of hibachi (portable charcoal-burning brazier) on 3 low legs and filled with short pieces of wood and charcoals. Unusual and clever subject in Japanese taste, perfectly caught “wabi-sabi” essence of the object with its elegant simplicity. Beautiful carving, wonderful depiction of wood structures in the logs, excellent wear and patina. Signed SHOJUKEN MASATOMO on the bottom - for information on this rare artist from Yamada-Ise school see NETSUKE & INRO ARTISTS AND ...

19th century netsuke of the famous warrior and statesman Takeshiuchi no Sukune cradling a boy on one hand, and a kneeling man with a sword and wearing a eboshi hat. The boy is the son of the Empress Jingo and is the future Emperor Ojin, to whose education Takeshiuchi devoted his later life. Superbly carved, great faces, elaborate hair and clothing arrangement and excellent textile patterns. Semicircle on the bottom that can be seen on the left of Enlargement 6 may look like a repair, but it is a...

19th century Asakusa school staghorn netsuke in manju (rice cake) shape decorated on the front with a low relief carving of a bird (possibly a woodpecker) on a tree branch. Beautifully carved, eye inlaid with black horn. Two parts fit snugly, beautiful warm patina, darker porous areas as is usual with staghorn. Signed EISAI on the back - for information on this rare Asakusa artist see NETSUKE & INRO ARTISTS AND HOW TO READ THEIR SIGNATURES by George Lazarnick, p. 361. Diameter 1 1/2 inches.

18th century wooden netsuke of sumitori - a woven basket holding charcoal during tea ceremony - containing sumi (charcoal), and with haboki (feather brush for ashes) and hibashi (fire tongues) on top. The wood is kurogaki (black persimmon). Excellent strong early carving elegant in its simplicity, clever design in Japanese taste, beautiful patina. Signed SANSHA on the bottom - this rare artist is listed on page 913 of NETSUKE & INRO ARTISTS AND HOW TO READ THEIR SIGNATURES by George Lazarnick. T...

19th century netsuke in kagamibuta (mirror lid) form. The top is solid silver with medium relief coiled dragon with fiercely open mouth and flames issuing from its body. Superb quality metalwork - see its face, claws and crisply incised differentiated scales, touches of differently colored enamels. Warm patina, beautiful bowl with stable old age line, swinging metal loop at the back for the cord. Very powerful piece. Diameter 1 13/16 inches.

Late 18th to early 19th century netsuke of a boy seated on a huge bag and holding a double gourd in his hands. Strong early carving with very good detailing - see the flying sleeve, different textile patterns on an old patched bag and euphoric expression on the boy’s face. Old age lines, beautiful wear and patina turning deep yellow. Signed YOSHINAGA in oval reserve on the bottom - for information on this brilliant artist see p. 1239 of NETSUKE & INRO ARTISTS AND HOW TO READ THEIR SIGNATURES b...

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 netsuke of baying spotted deer standing on a base carved with a seal on the bottom. Image of the characters on Enlargement 1 is flipped left to right, so it shows the way an imprint will look. Elegant carving with pure clean lines, wonderful depiction of volume of the deer body, beautiful depiction of its spotted coat, eyes inlaid with light horn, painted pupils. Cord openings are formed by natural openings between deer’s legs. Four characters crisply carved on the bottom, traces ...

Early 19th century netsuke in manju shape carved with a map of Japanese islands, all prefectures’ names are engraved in minute calligraphy. Very nice work in the manner of Nanka, old age lines, beautiful patina, 2 parts fit nicely. Diameter 1 3/4 inches.

18th century netsuke of the magic horse appearing from a dried gourd. According to a Japanese legend the gourd belonged to Chokwaro sennin (Chinese sage) who could summon the magic horse out of it to be transported wherever he wanted. Elegantly carved piece with great face and mane. Beautiful wear and patina. Length 1 9/16 inches.

Unusual 19th century netsuke in bean shape carved on the inside with a scene of a shishi family (2 adults and a cub) frolicking among flowering peony bushes. Rare use of anabori (cavern) carving technique, perfect sculpting with deep undercutting. Beautiful faces and flower petals, great patina. Signed NAGAMITSU SAKU (made by Nagamitsu) in oval reserve on the bottom - for information on the artist see NETSUKE & INRO ARTISTS AND HOW TO READ THEIR SIGNATURES by George Lazarnick, p. 813. Wonderful ...

19th century boxwood netsuke of a blind masseuse working on a client. The masseur has a typical bump on his head, as is usual with portrayal of blind in netsuke. Wonderful carving with great faces, muscles of the client and excellent depiction of textile lines, rich warm patina. Signed NOBUFUSA on the bottom - the artist is listed on p. 834 of NETSUKE & INRO ARTISTS AND HOW TO READ THEIR SIGNATURES by George Lazarnick. Height 1 1/8 inches.

Rather unusual 19th century Japanese bronze scroll weight cast in a form of a two-horned chimera with a long tail standing in alert attitude on a base in a form of a tiny island surrounded by a gentle stream. Can serve as a brush rest as well. Superb elegant modeling of the beast with its thin limbs and slightly upturned face, wonderful patination ranging in color from dark red to brown to black, in excellent condition, pleasantly heavy. Cast with 2 Japanese characters on the bottom reading TAKU...

19th century wooden netsuke carved as seated Tanuki (badger) with its mouth wide open, beating with his paws on his extended belly as on a drum. In Japanese folklore tanuki is a notorious trickster: he drums with his paws on his large belly (tanuki no hara tsuzumi), imitating the sounding of gongs in temples and inns, and leading tired travelers astray in the darkness. Superbly carved, great sense of volume, extraordinary face with well captured insidious expression and crisply carved individual...

Unusual netsuke size okimono of a beetle, a moth and a water drop on a chrysanthemum leaf. Wonderful subject and extraordinary delicate execution - see finely captured anatomy of the insects and veining of the leaf. The leaf is fossilized mammoth ivory, insects are carved out of differently colored buffalo horn, water drop is crystal or acrylic. Signed in round amber reserve on the bottom SC for Ukrainian / Latvian carver Vjacheslav (Slava) Chernoshey. In superb condition, length 2.43 inches

Early 19th century boxwood netsuke of seated Thunder God Raiden, his drums that he uses to create thunder behind his back. Wonderful face with a touch of madness, excellent detailing, beautiful patina. There is an old restoration to a section of his scarf under the left arm - see left photo on Enlargement 5. Height 1.5 inches.

19th century kagamibuta (mirror lid) netsuke with Shibayama inlay depicting 3 utensils for tea ceremony: haboki (feather brush for ashes), sumitori (charcoal basket) and hibashi (fire tongues). Clever design, beautiful detailed inlay work - see the texture of silver tongues). The bowl is ebony, the top is boxwood, materials used for inlay are mother of pearl, silver, gold, walnut skin and 2 types of dark wood. Plain back, old silk cord, two parts fit nicely, beautiful mellow patina. Top diameter...

19th century netsuke of poet Hitomaro wearing his official coat and ritual hat, leaning on a low table thoughtfully contemplating the world as if seeking inspiration for one of his poems. Kakinomoto no Hitomaro was a famous poet and aristocrat of the late Asuka Period (7th/8th centuries), and is considered one of the Thirty Six Poetry Immortals of Japan. Wonderful carving with great intense face, excellent staining, wear and patina. Signed RYOKOSAI on the bottom - the artist is listed on p. 893 ...