Catalog (1388)

Unusual 19th century metal and wood netsuke of giboshi - a bridge post finial. Beautiful simple object in Japanese taste, perfectly elegant, in excellent condition. Rare subject, beautiful wear and patina. Height 1 9/16 inches.

Unusual 19th century wooden netsuke carved as a head of a dragon with a Precious Gem in its mouth. Boldly carved, strong features of the creature’s face, nice wear and patina. Length 3 inches.

Very unusual 19th century square manju netsuke made out of a slab of aventurine glass with silver fitting on the back in a shape of a samurai family crest with paulownia flowers and leaves, swinging silver loop for hanging. Superbly beautiful and rare material, absolutely stunningly sparkling in direct sunlight, does not photograph well. Three tiny chips along the edges on the front and a couple on the back, do not take away from the piece. Beautiful patina, very pleasant to hold. 1 7/16 inches ...

Early 19th century bronze netsuke in a form of a temple bell of Miidera. For the legend of Benkei carrying the bell of Miidera see H. Joly LEGEND IN JAPANESE ART, p. 82. Pleasant piece in Japanese taste with nice casting, beautiful wear and patina. Very good piece for collection of various netsuke materials or for scholar’s desk. Height 1 1/8 inches.

Late 18th to early 19th century bronze suigaraake (ashtray) netsuke in classic bowl shape with cast decoration on the outside of 2 birds by bamboo stalks with leaves. Very well designed piece, good detailing, functional netsuke shape, hanged by a bronze ring. Nice old piece with pleasant patina on metal, the inside of the still containing ash residue. Diameter 1 5/8 inches.

Old Chinese scholar’s rock in a shape of a dramatic snow covered mountain with numerous caves and crevices. Gives wonderful impression of immense energy of the mountain. Zhaoqing limestone of off-white color with darker inclusions and pinkish tinged areas. Superb scholar’s object, beautiful patina on the surface of the stone, flattened bottom, fitted rosewood stand. Height with stand 3 1/2 inches, length with stand 8 1/4 inches.

19th century netsuke of cut vegetables, tofu and rice cakes inside a wooden pan with handle. Superb elegant design in Japanese taste with perfectly captured mood of happy anticipation of a good meal, excellent carving, beautiful patina. Signed MITSUHIRO on the bottom of the pan. For a lengthy discussion of this first rate distinct artist see NETSUKE & INRO ARTISTS AND HOW TO READ THEIR SIGNATURES by George Lazarnick, page 775. Clever and unusual object by the master carver. Length with handle 2 ...

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.

Late 18th to early 19th century wooden netsuke of seated Hotei (one of the 7 Gods of Good Fortune and incarnation of Maitreya - the Buddha of the future) with wide smile and a fan in his hand. Strong carving with wonderfully captured facial expression, beautiful wear and patina. Height 1 3/16 inches.

18th century netsuke of a standing Dutchman wearing a wig, supporting a Chinese boy on his back with his left hand and holding a tasseled trumpet in his right, a shallow ruff at his neck. Superb quality carving - see the smiling face of the Dutchman with jutting chin and small mouth, his upper teeth showing, wonderful rhythm to the curls of the wig. Well balanced - stands on its own on flat surface. Beautiful wear and patina, compressed dust in crevices, differently sized deep himotoshi typical ...

Late 18th to early 19th century staghorn / bone Kyoto school netsuke of a seated shishi (Buddhist lion) hugging a large ball. Unusual material for the subject, strong early piece with beautiful wear and patina consistent with age, wonderful face, powerful oversized paws, eyes are inlaid with brown horn. Very nice hairwork (see its mane and bushy tail), old age lines, deep himotoshi going through the back down to the bottom. Wonderful sculpture. Height 1 11/16 inches.

18th century good size netsuke of a grazing horse with its head lowered to the left and its tail swishing around at the back. The eyes are inlaid with black horn, differently sized and deep himotoshi in accordance with the habit of the time. Great face, wonderful depiction of its mane, stands on its own on a flat surface. Beautiful sheen from wear, honey colored patina on the back. Netsuke of characteristic 18th century triangular section, old age line along the spine of the creature. Great dign...

Rather unusual late 18th to early 19th century Japanese bronze temple decoration fixture of a tennin - a female buddhist angel - as it flies playing a Shu - Japanese musical instrument from a flute group used in Shinto ceremony and consisting of bamboo reeds forming a circular wind chamber. Wonderful design, beautiful flow of her billowing scarves, gilded highlights, great patina. Very well cast, pleasantly heavy, peg on the back for fixing it to a temple or pedestal wall. Length 6 inches.

19th century netsuke of a dog sitting on a woven mat with its front paw on a reticulated ball with a loose ball inside it. Excellent carving with great face and superb depiction of hair and woven mat textures. Beautiful wear and patina. Signed ICHIRA (alternative readings are Itsura or Kazura) in oval reserve on the bottom. Height 1 1/2 inches.

19th century netsuke of a rooster on a drum. The subject symbolizes peace: according to a Chinese story, a drum was kept at the palace gate to alert soldiers in case of emergency, but during the reign of Emperor Yao the peace was maintained for so long, that the drum fell into disuse and became the favorite roost for local fowl. Excellent quality carving - see the rich depiction of differentiated feathers of its body and tail, eyes are inlaid with black horn. Beautiful light staining, pleasant w...

19th century netsuke in square manju (rice cake) shape with relief carving of a man wearing a straw hat and holding a spouted kettle by a handle, falling maple leaves on the back. of a samurai subduing a rough looking man. the subject is Tadamori capturing an oil thief. Taira no Tadamori (lived 1096 – 1153) was the samurai who presided over the rise of the Taira clan: he was sent to fight a what was thought to be a ghost wondering the temple grounds, only to discover that it was a man stealing...

Late 17th to early 18th century devotional Jain bronze of Goddess Padmavati seated on a base with one foot pending. Padmavati is the sasana-devi (protective Goddess) of the 23rd Tirthankara, Lord Parshvanatha. Padmavati is protected by an open hood of a cobra (old loss to the hood) whose body is forming a knot above her shoulders. She is holding an ankus (elephant goad), a lotus stem and a fruit in her hands, and her front right hand is in abhaya (no fear) mudra. Very beautiful devotional wear ...

18th century votive Indian bronze sculpture depicting goddess Durga sitting on a lotus base with one foot pending and a little figure of a creature on her left that appears to be a camel. She is holding a dagger, a trident, a hand drum and a jem in her hands, and there are solid gold inlays on her chest and in the middle of her forehead. Durga is the warrior goddess, whose mythology centers around combating evil and demonic forces that threaten peace, prosperity and dharma of the good. She is th...