126 - SUKETADA: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE OF A KAPPA WITH ITS FOOT CAUGHT IN A HAMAGURI CLAM

SUKETADA: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE OF A KAPPA WITH ITS FOOT CAUGHT IN A HAMAGURI CLAM By Eguro Suketada (1851-1915), signed Suketada 亮忠 Japan, Takayama, Hida Province, mid-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Very finely carved as a kappa attempting to climb over a large hamaguri clam, one hind foot firmly caught between its jaws. The warty skin of the kappa is masterfully rendered, the eyes are inlaid in dark horn, and the carapace is finely incised. The long hair surrounding the characteristic depression on the kappa’s head, which holds its vital water, is minutely carved, while the smoothly rounded and attractively polished clam provides a pleasing contrast to the densely textured surface of the water spirit. Large ringed asymmetrical himotoshi underneath and signed SUKETADA. HEIGHT 3.7 cm Provenance: Christie’s, Fine and Important Japanese Prints and Works of Art, 15-16 April 1988, New York, lot 37 (sold for GBP 5,280 or approx. EUR 18,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). From a noted French private collection, acquired from the above. Condition: Very good condition with only minor wear, a tiny nick to the green-stained himotoshi and a few light surface scratches to the underside. Eguro Suketada (1851-1915) came from the lineage of Eguro Sukeharu (1831-1901) and Hirata Suketomo (1809-1847), one of the founding figures of the Hida school of carving. The present composition was evidently a favored model within this line of Hida carvers. The present subject is a humorous and mildly erotic conceit. The hamaguri clam functions in Japanese imagery as a symbol of the female sexual organ, and here the mischievous kappa – normally the aggressor in folklore – finds itself quite literally entrapped. The motif has consequently been interpreted as a playful warning against the dangers of amorous entanglement and feminine seduction. A closely related museum example is likewise described as a reversal of the kappa's customary role, with the water spirit becoming the victim of female desire. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related wood netsuke of the same subject, signed Suketada, 3.5 cm high, illustrated in Barry Davies Oriental Art, The Netsuke Collection of W. G. Bosshard, Part I, no. 83. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related wood netsuke of the same subject, signed Suketada, 4.2 cm high, at Bonhams, The Harriet Szechenyi Sale of Japanese Art, 8 November 2011, London, lot 54 (sold for GBP 8,125 or approx. EUR 14,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).