Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese (899)

Late 18th to early 19th century netsuke of a standing Dutchman holding an oversized rooster in his hands. Excellent carving, superb depiction of bird’s head, feathers and feet, great face with overly round eyes, wonderful depiction of his knee-length coat decorated with wave designs, textured pants and Chinese style hat with feather. Eyes inlaid with black horn, stands on its own, excellent patina, compressed dust on the surface...

Very tall early 19th century netsuke of a strange foreigner wearing richly decorated Chinese dress and European pantaloons with a karako (Chinese boy) sitting on his shoulders. He is holding a scroll in one hand, and there is a small drum hanging off his belt on his right side. Strong early carving, excellent detailing, wonderful face with a perfectly captured expression of slight madness, textile highlights on his belly are inlaid with turtle shell...

19th century boxwood netsuke of sitting Tanuki (badger) beating 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, excellent depiction of its face, teeth and fur, great sense of volume. Eyes are double inlaid with bronze and shakudo...

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...

19th century netsuke of a puppy wearing a collar with bell, and playing with a bamboo twig with leaves. Superb carving to the last detail - see its double inlaid eyes and raised whiskers. Fantastic sense of its chubby body, clever use of a lighter colored ivory layer as a spot on the puppy’s coat, beautiful patina on excellent quality material...

19th century netsuke carved as a group of 12 animals of the Oriental zodiac: dragon, horse, tiger, rat, rooster, dog, monkey, snake, goat, pig, buffalo and rabbit. Clever design, excellent carving to the last detail, deep undercutting, beautiful wear and patina. Eye of the rabbit is inlaid with salmon pink coral, all the rest are inlaid with dark horn. Very beautiful wear, honey colored patina...

18th century netsuke of a reclining shishi with its head turned to the right, its mouth wide open as it bites its rear paw (probably tries to take out something stuck between its pads). Unusual posture, very strong early piece, eyes inlaid with dark horn, a loose ball in its mouth, superb oversized powerful paws, excellent hairwork (see its bushy tail and mane), beautiful slightly convex (not flat) bottom...

Superb 19th century netsuke of a multi-building palace / castle complex with trees, shrines and bridges with human figures, all on a minute scale. The bottom is carved with low relief landscape with scholar’s huts, a sail boat and distant mountains. Carved with supreme confidence and perfect precision, wonderful wear and patina. Viewed from the top, one of palaces exhibits a distinct cross on its roof - the netsuke may represent a hidden Christian reference...

Very unusual 19th century netsuke representing a bird in flight. It may be a swallow, but I am not sure. Wonderful spirited carving capturing the essence of the creature with its swiftness, beautiful face, eyes are double inlaid with horn, excellent depiction of different feathers. Great wear and patina, old age lines. Length 2 1/4 inches.

18th century netsuke of a standing Dutchman with his mouth open, clutching a long-tailed rooster to his chest with one hand, wearing a hat, long coat, gaiters and shoes. Rare subject - Englebert Kaempfer (doctor with the Dutch East India Company who traveled to Edo in 1691-92) singing for Shogun Tsunayoshi at the annual reception of the foreigners in Edo...

19th century netsuke of a dog seated on a base, one of its front paws raised, and the bottom of the base carved as a stylized seal with 4 characters. Superbly carved, excellent depiction of its face, limbs and bumpy spine, perfectly executed keyfret design around the base, beautiful staining typical for the artist, wonderful wear and patina...

19th century netsuke of a swan (cygnet), its shape compact, neck bent back and head resting on its body, looking forward and up. Elegant clever design capturing the essence of the creature. Superbly modeled, eyes inlaid with black horn. Excellent wear and patina, old stable age lines, compressed dust on the surface, extremely pleasant to handle. Formerly in the Raymond Bushell collection, illustrated in NETSUKE FAMILIAR AND UNFAMILIAR, p. 208, number 641. Length 1 1/2 inches.

Excellent 19th century netsuke of a dragon and a tiger about to engage in a fight on a rocky outcrop under swirling clouds. Very nice pairing of two most powerful Zodiac beast, carved with supreme confidence and precision, wonderful detailing of their faces, scales, stripes and cloud textures. Eyes are inlaid with metal, beautiful wear and patina. Signed KAGETOSHI on inlaid mother of pearl rectangular reserve on the bottom - this excellent carver is discussed on p...

19th century netsuke of a recumbent goat, its head lowered as it scratches its haunch with one horn...

Late 18th to early 19th century netsuke of a recumbent cow with a boy climbing on top of it while holding a rat by its tail. The netsuke is a reference to a Zodiac pairing of animals with an unusual addition of a human. Finely carved, its hooves bent beneath its body, wearing a halter with a length of rope lying across its back, eyes of the cow inlaid with black horn, rat’s eyes are brown horn. Beautiful wear consistent with age, yellowing on the bottom where netsuke was touching the silk of k...

19th century netsuke of a man with a horn on his head, bent under the weight of a richly dressed woman on his back. The subject of the netsuke is Ikkaku Sennin (single horn Sage), a supernatural being born of a doe. According to a Japanese legend, he grew angry with the Rain Dragons and sealed them away in a cave, causing a drought. Beautiful Indian princess Sendarama was sent to tempt him and when he yielded to her, he lost his magical powers, and the rain returned. Great carving - see both fac...

Unusually sculptural 19th century good size netsuke of 2 shishi fighting over a hollow pierced ball. Extraordinary carving with superb detailing and volume - see their faces, powerful paws and muscular limbs, tufts of hair and long bushy tails. Expert staining, beautiful patina, very pleasant to the touch. Equally exceptional when viewed from the back. Formerly in the collection of Scott Meredith - see Barry Davies 1995 catalog 100 SELECTED PIECES FROM THE NETSUKE COLLECTION OF SCOTT MEREDITH, #...

Late 18th to early 19th century Kyoto school netsuke of a puppy wearing a cloth collar, playing with an abalone shell. Strong early piece with amazingly lifelike facial expression and wonderful fur texture worn on protruding parts. Pleasantly chunky, eyes are inlaid with black horn, old stable age lines, wonderful wear and patina turning honey color on the bottom. Deep himotoshi in accordance with the habit of the time. Excellent strong netsuke. Length 2 1/16 inches.