103 - Ɏ OKAKOTO: A SUPERB IVORY NETSUKE OF A RECUMBENT DEER

Ɏ OKAKOTO: A SUPERB IVORY NETSUKE OF A RECUMBENT DEER By Yamaguchi Okakoto, signed Okakoto 岡言 Japan, Kyoto, late 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Superbly carved as a recumbent deer with all four legs folded tightly beneath its compact body, the long neck gracefully arched and the head turned sharply back over the shoulder. The open mouth reveals a minute row of individually carved teeth, while the sensitively modeled face is enlivened by flared nostrils, long swept-back ears, dark horn-inlaid eyes, and short antlers curling closely over the crown. The softly rounded body is covered with finely incised hairwork, delicately stained to emphasize the musculature and natural folds of the hide, while scattered circular spots along the back and haunches are carefully picked out to suggest the animal’s dappled coat. The compact composition is particularly successful, the sharply turned head introducing a lively sense of movement into the otherwise reposeful pose. Asymmetrical himotoshi to the underside and signed within a rectangular reserve to the haunch OKAKOTO. LENGTH 4.6 cm Provenance: From a noted French private collection. Condition: Good condition with minor wear and expected age cracks. A tiny restoration to the edge of one antler branch. Yamaguchi Okakoto was the younger brother and pupil of Yamaguchi Okatomo, one of the leading masters of the Kyoto school. His oeuvre is considerably rarer than that of Okatomo and other members of the Oka school, yet the finest works display the same refined naturalism, compact sculptural conception, and meticulous surface treatment for which the family is celebrated. Museum comparison: Compare a closely related ivory netsuke of a recumbent stag by the same artist, signed Okakoto, 4 cm long, formerly in the Anne Hull Grundy Collection, now in the British Museum, registration number HG.425. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related ivory netsuke of a recumbent stag by the artist’s older brother Okatomo, 4.5 cm long, at Bonhams, The Harriet Szechenyi Sale of Japanese Art, 8 November 2011, London, lot 194 (sold for GBP 55,250 or approx. EUR 99,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Compare a closely related ivory netsuke of a recumbent stag, unsigned, dated late 18th century, 5.5 cm long, at Christie’s, Art of Japan, 8 December 2016, London, lot 6 (sold for GBP 20,000 or approx. EUR 33,000 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/00296). 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.