99 - Ɏ A FINE IVORY NETSUKE OF A GOAT, ATTRIBUTED MITSUHARU

Ɏ A FINE IVORY NETSUKE OF A GOAT, ATTRIBUTED MITSUHARU Attributed to Mitsuharu, signed Tomotada 友忠 Japan, Kyoto, late 18 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Published: Hull Grundy, Anne (1963), The Antique Collector, Tomotada and Okatomo, fig. 20. Superbly carved seated upright on its haunches, the compact body tightly composed with the legs drawn close beneath and alongside the body, the head raised and turned sharply to one side. The animated expression is particularly striking, with large almond-shaped eyes inlaid in dark horn and the mouth slightly open in a characteristic grin, revealing individually carved teeth and prominent canines. The long ears are swept back beneath a pair of boldly curved horns, while a finely incised beard descends from the lower jaw. The shaggy coat is rendered with remarkable vigor in dense, deeply carved and overlapping locks sweeping rhythmically across the neck, chest, shoulders, and flanks, the incision heightened with dark sumi staining. Himotoshi through the underside and side, and signed within a rectangular reserve TOMOTADA. The ivory bearing an attractive warm honey-colored patina. LENGTH 3.8 cm Provenance: Ex-collection Anne Hull Grundy. Sotheby’s, A Very Fine Selection of Netsuke, From the Collection of Professor and Mrs. J. Hull-Grundy, 6 May 1975, London, lot 27 (sold for GBP 1,300 or approx. EUR 14,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). From a noted French private collection, acquired from the above. Anne Hull Grundy (1926-1984), later Anne Hull Grundy Boucheron, was a British art collector and philanthropist renowned for her discerning eye and scholarly dedication. Though best known for her collection of European decorative arts and jewelry, she also assembled an important group of Japanese works of art, including netsuke. Much of her collection was generously donated to public institutions, most notably the British Museum, ensuring its accessibility to scholars and the public. Condition: Excellent condition with minor typical wear and expected minor age cracks. Mitsuharu is one of the fifty-seven carvers recorded in the Soken Kisho of 1781. A quintessential Kyoto animal carver working principally in ivory, his style is closely related to Tomotada, whose signature appears on many netsuke attributed to Mitsuharu. His goats are distinctive for their animated faces with open mouths revealing prominent teeth and canines, strongly curved horns, and vigorously carved shaggy coats. The present netsuke displays all these characteristic traits and closely corresponds to signed examples by Mitsuharu. Literature comparison: For a discussion of the carver and his goats see International Netsuke Society Journal (INSJ), 2019, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 11-23, figs. 6-8. Museum comparison: Compare a closely related ivory netsuke of a goat by the same artist, signed Mitsuharu, 4 cm high, in the British Museum, registration number F.771. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related ivory netsuke of a standing goat, unsigned and attributed to Mitsuharu, 5.4 cm high, at Bonhams, The James A. Rosen Collection of Netsuke and Sagemono, 17 September 2013, New York, lot 2014 (sold for USD 17,500 or approx. EUR 20,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number IT/CE/2024/MI/00312). This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.