111 - Ɏ MASAKAZU: AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE OSAKA SCHOOL IVORY NETSUKE OF A HAKUTAKU, AFTER A DESIGN BY KATSUSHIIKA HOKUSAI

Ɏ MASAKAZU: AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE OSAKA SCHOOL IVORY NETSUKE OF A HAKUTAKU, AFTER A DESIGN BY KATSUSHIIKA HOKUSAI By Masakazu, signed Masakazu 正一 Japan, Osaka, c. 1870s-1880s, early Meiji period (1868-1912) Superbly carved standing foursquare, the fabulous hakutaku unmistakably identified by its nine eyes and four curved horns, the latter finely inlaid in brilliant dark horn. The compact bovine body is powerfully modeled with broad shoulders and swelling haunches, its surface densely worked with finely incised hair heightened by masterful, subtly graduated staining. The broad head is particularly expressive, with a pronounced snout, deeply flared nostrils, slightly parted mouth, the many eyes inlaid in dark horn,. The long, bushy tail sweeps upward and curls tightly over the back, completing the pleasingly rounded composition. The richly stained ivory and carefully selected horn inlays are characteristic of the refined later Osaka tradition, recalling the technical sophistication associated with such masters as Ohara Mitsuhiro and his circle. Himotoshi to the underside and signed within an oval reserve MASAKAZU. LENGTH 3.5 cm Provenance: From a noted French private collection. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and expected age cracks. Masakazu was an Osaka carver and pupil of Hidemasa, working within a tradition that had reached an extraordinary degree of technical refinement by the later 19th century. The present netsuke exemplifies this mature Osaka aesthetic in its compact sculptural conception, finely worked surface, rich staining, and sophisticated use of contrasting horn inlays. Such effects inevitably recall the celebrated works of Ohara Mitsuhiro and related Osaka masters, whose virtuoso treatment of ivory exerted a lasting influence upon subsequent generations of carvers. The hakutaku, known in China as bai ze, is a mythical creature famed for its extraordinary intelligence and complete knowledge of the supernatural world. It was believed capable of identifying innumerable spirits and demons and consequently came to be regarded as a powerful protector against disease and misfortune. In Japanese imagery, the creature typically assumes a bovine form furnished with three eyes on the face, three on each flank, and four horns, an arrangement faithfully preserved in the present netsuke. As Rosemary Bandini has demonstrated, the hakutaku was frequently confused in earlier Western netsuke literature with the kudan, a quite different Japanese chimera possessing the body of an ox and a human head. Earlier Japanese representations by artists including Hakuin and Katsushika Hokusai clearly establish the multi-eyed, horned creature as the hakutaku. Of particular interest is the close relationship between the present carving and Katsushika Hokusai’s celebrated depiction of a hakutaku. Masakazu follows the same fundamental conception: the creature stands foursquare upon its short legs, its compact body dominated by the large head, while the conspicuously bushy tail rises and curls across the back. The correspondence is sufficiently close to suggest that Hokusai’s design, or a derivative of it, served as the model for the netsuke. Yet Masakazu translated the graphic prototype entirely into the language of Osaka carving, transforming Hokusai’s linear image into a densely modeled miniature sculpture enriched with deep staining, minute hairwork, and contrasting horn inlays. The result is not merely an exceptionally rare netsuke subject, but a particularly compelling example of the circulation of pictorial designs between ukiyo-e and the applied arts during the 19th century. Auction comparison: Hakutaku are exceptionally rare in netsuke art. Compare a related wood netsuke of a hakutaku, dated to the 18th century, 4 cm high, at Bonhams, Netsuke from the Collection of Joseph and Elena Kurstin, 16 December 2022, New York, lot 59 (sold for USD 81,015 or approx. EUR 107,000 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/00306). 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.