124 - BAZAN: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE OF THREE TURTLES ON A LOTUS LEAF

BAZAN: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE OF THREE TURTLES ON A LOTUS LEAF By Bazan, signed Bazan 馬山 Japan, Iwashiro or Nagoya, 19 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Well-sized and finely and intricately carved as a lively group of two small turtles clambering over their parents upon a broad lotus leaf. Each carapace is meticulously worked with overlapping hexagonal scutes, contrasting with the finely stippled and wrinkled skin of limbs. The lotus leaf forms a naturalistic base with a thick, irregularly curled margin and finely incised veins and holes. Natural himotoshi and signed in an inlaid rectangular reserve underneath BAZAN. LENGTH 4.6 cm Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear. Bazan was a rare 19th-century carver generally associated with the Nagoya school, whose relatively uncommon works are distinguished by careful observation and precise naturalistic carving; he has also been suggested to be identical with Hokutei. The present turtles also show notable affinities with the work of Basui and Hidari Issan, particularly in the detailed treatment of the carapaces and wrinkled skin. Interestingly, the signature here writes the first character Ba 馬 fully, rather than in the abbreviated form more commonly encountered on Bazan’s works. Auction comparison: Compare a related wood netsuke of a turtle by Basui, 4.8 cm wide, at Bonhams, The Julius and Arlette Katchen Collection of Fine Netsuke: Part II, 10 May 2017, London, lot 172 (sold for GBP 3,750 or approx. EUR 6,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Compare also a related ebony wood netsuke of five turtles by Hidari Issan, 5.1 cm wide, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 14 May 2015, London, lot 45 (sold for GBP 3,125 or approx. EUR 5,200 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).