51 - AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE EBONY WOOD NETSUKE OF A JAPANESE SEA LION

AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE EBONY WOOD NETSUKE OF A JAPANESE SEA LION Unsigned Japan, 18 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Published: 1. Bushell, Raymond (1971) Collector’s Netsuke, (back cover). 2. Bushell, Raymond (1975) Netsuke Familiar & Unfamiliar, p. 180, no. 498. Boldly carved from dense, lustrous ebony as a Japanese sea lion resting on its belly, the smooth, torpedo-shaped body tapering gently toward the hind flippers. The rounded head is modeled with a short, blunt snout, small alert eyes, carved ear flaps, and a slightly open mouth, the features rendered with remarkable economy but remarkably effective nonetheless. The broad foreflippers curve backward along either side of the body, their inner surfaces crisply incised with radiating lines. The highly polished surface and restrained carving emphasize the sleek, streamlined form of the animal. Very generously excavated and asymmetrical himotoshi underneath. LENGTH 7.2 cm Provenance: Ex-Collection Yoshimatsu Tsuruki. Ex-collection Raymond and Frances Bushell. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear. No other early netsuke depicting a seal or Japanese sea lion appears to have been recorded, making the present work an exceptionally rare subject within historic netsuke carving. The animal most likely represents the Japanese sea lion, Nihon ashika (Zalophus japonicus), formerly widespread along the coasts of the Japanese archipelago and neighboring waters. Its long familiarity in Japan is attested by archaeological remains dating back to the Jomon period and by its inclusion in Terajima Ryoan’s early 18th-century encyclopedia, the Wakan Sansai Zue. Once abundant, the species declined dramatically through intensive hunting during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is now regarded as extinct. The exceptional rarity of the subject, together with its early date and distinguished Bushell provenance and publication history, gives the present netsuke particular importance.