MASANAO: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE DEPICTING AN AUTUMNAL SCENE OF QUAILS AND MILLET

MASANAO: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE DEPICTING AN AUTUMNAL SCENE OF QUAILS AND MILLET By a member of the Masanao family, signed Masanao 正直 Japan, Yamada, Ise province, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Of ryusa type and kemari (ball) shape, finely carved in openwork, the five quails standing alert amongst dense millet stalks weighed down by heavy kernels, two birds hidden away within the thick undergrowth and one flying above. A strand of bamboo chimes hangs above them. The kernels and feathers of the quails are finely detailed, and the eyes are inlaid in dark horn. A single himotoshi to the underside, the cord channel running naturally through the openworked composition. Signed MASANAO to the underside on one of the bird scarers. LENGTH 3.2 cm Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, few light scratches and minor expected nibbling to edges. Provenance: Formerly in the collection of Monsieur B., managing director of Le Bon Marché, Paris, in the early 20th century, and thence by descent in the same family. Founded in 1838 by the Boucicaut family, Le Bon Marché is a department store run by a partnership of top managers that continued the "family" culture of the business even after the death of the original founders. The combination of quail and millet is popular in Japanese art and symbolizes autumn. In Chinese, the two form the rebus suisui ping’an, meaning ‘may you have peace year after year’. Auction comparison: Compare a related ryusa manju netsuke of quail and millet similarly carved, unsigned and attributed to the Yamada school, at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 25 September 2020, Vienna, lot 120 (sold for EUR 2,528).