128 - HOSHUNSAI MASAYUKI: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE OF A HATCHING YOUTHFUL KONOHA TENGU (TENGU NO TAMAGO)

HOSHUNSAI MASAYUKI: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE OF A HATCHING YOUTHFUL KONOHA TENGU (TENGU NO TAMAGO) By Hoshunsai Masayuki, signed Masayuki 正之 with kakihan Japan, Edo (Tokyo), mid-19 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved and attractively stained, the youthful human-faced konoha tengu bursting headfirst from the cracked egg, its large head thrust boldly forward with the characteristically long nose projecting like the prow of a vessel, the narrow eyes and straight locks of hair lending the face a wonderfully determined expression. Its small hands and feathered wings grasp the broken edges of the shell as the body remains tightly enclosed within, while the surface is further carved in relief with scattered eggshell fragments and ginkgo leaves. Asymmetrical himotoshi to the underside, the smaller one encircled by a raised rim resembling a ring, and signed MASAYUKI with the artist’s characteristic kakihan. LENGTH 3.5 cm Provenance: Spink & Son, London, 1971. From an important European private collection, acquired from the above, by repute. An old label inscribed ‘98’ within the larger himotoshi. Condition: Excellent condition with only minor typical wear. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related wood netsuke of a hatching karasu tengu by the same artist, also signed Masayuki with kakihan, 3.5 cm long, at Sotheby’s, Japanese and Korean Works of Art, 9 June 2004, London, lot 1148 (sold for GBP 3,120 or approx. EUR 6,700 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).