71 - A SUPERB WOOD NETSUKE OF ASHINAGA AND TENAGA WITH AN OCTOPUS

A SUPERB WOOD NETSUKE OF ASHINAGA AND TENAGA WITH AN OCTOPUS Unsigned Japan, late 18 th to early 19 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Published: Douglas J. K. Wright (1976), Netsuke Panorama, no. 122. Superbly carved as the legendary pair of fishermen, the exceedingly long-legged Ashinaga striding forward while carrying Tenaga on his back. Tenaga leans dramatically over his companion, his elongated arms reaching down toward an intricately carved openwork bamboo basket containing their catch, a wonderfully detailed octopus visible within. Even the basket is enlivened with minute details, including a tiny barnacle attached to the underside. Despite the pronounced movement of the composition, the group is remarkably well balanced and stands securely on its own. Both figures wear shaggy loincloths, their lean bodies smoothly polished. The warm reddish-brown tone of the wood, expressive physiognomies, and vigorous treatment are characteristic of early Edo-school figure carving. Good, asymmetrical himotoshi to the back. HEIGHT 7.5 cm Provenance: The Dorothy Ann Stevens Collection of Fine Netsuke & Inro, formed between the 1940s and 1960s. Acquired from Norton, November 1956. A copy of the corresponding entry in the collector’s register, recording the present lot as no. 351, accompanies the lot. Dorothy Ann Stevens was a collector of Japanese art active during the mid-twentieth century. The wife of the chemist, artist, and collector Henry Potter Stevens (1875–1965), she formed an extensive collection of netsuke, inro, and smoking accessories, with netsuke representing a particular focus of her collecting. Carefully documented and scholarly studied, the collection was maintained independently, with individual inventory numbers assigned to all her acquisitions. Many of these were purchased on the London art market during the 1940s and 1950s and included works with distinguished earlier provenances. Dorothy and Henry maintained closely related but distinct collections and occasionally exchanged objects between them, Henry's interests being particularly associated with inro and hers with netsuke. Preserved within the Stevens family for more than half a century, her collection constitutes a significant and well-documented record of the collecting and study of Japanese miniature arts in the mid-twentieth century. Condition: Very good condition, minor expected wear, a small loss to the basket. Ashinaga and Tenaga, literally ‘Long Legs’ and ‘Long Arms’, are legendary figures who overcome their respective physical peculiarities through cooperation: Ashinaga wades into deep water while carrying Tenaga, whose long arms enable him to reach the fish and other sea creatures below. The subject, which entered Japanese mythology from China, became particularly popular among netsuke carvers and is often interpreted as an image of mutual assistance. While numerous unsigned versions of the pair are known, the present example is distinguished by the unusually animated physiognomies and by the elaborate openwork basket, with the captured octopus meticulously carved within. Auction comparison: Compare a related wood netsuke of Ashinaga and Tenaga with an octopus, dated to the early 19th century, at Bonhams, The Harriet Szechenyi Sale of Japanese Art, 8 November 2011, London, lot 91 (sold for GBP 8,750 or approx. EUR 15,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).