123 - HIDARI ISSAN: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE OF A RAT WITH A CHESTNUT

HIDARI ISSAN: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE OF A RAT WITH A CHESTNUT By Hidari Issan, signed Hidari Issan 左 一山 Japan, Iwashiro province, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved in compact form as a large, plump rat crouching and clasping an opened chestnut between its forepaws, the pointed muzzle lowered to nibble at it. The alert expression is animated by delicately carved whiskers, rounded ears with deeply hollowed interiors, and eyes inlaid in dark horn. The smoothly rounded body is covered throughout with exceptionally fine, flowing strands of fur. The long, finely textured tail sweeps around the underside and forms the himotoshi. Signed HIDARI ISSAN within an oval reserve underneath. LENGTH 4.7 cm Provenance: Ex-collection Frank Lapisch, acquired in November 1992. Frank Lapisch (1934-2002) was a German entrepreneur and dedicated netsuke collector who first traveled to Japan in 1960 as a German judo champion. He later founded the Tokyo-based electronics firm Alltec in 1972 while deepening his engagement with Japanese art and craftsmanship. From the late 1970s onward, he pursued the study and acquisition of netsuke with increasing discernment, carefully documenting purchases made at auction houses such as Lempertz and Klefisch. He showed a particular preference for early ‘ur-netsuke,’ prized for their expressive carving and richly developed, glossy wear patina. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and age cracks. Auction comparison: Compare a related wood netsuke of a hare by the same artist, signed Hidari Issan, 4.5 cm long, with similarly fine engraved fur, at Christie’s, Art of Japan, 8 December 2016, London, lot 27 (sold for GBP 4,375 or approx. EUR 7,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).