163 - A NAGOYA SCHOOL WOOD NETSUKE OF A COILED SNAKE, ATTRIBUTED TO TAMETAKA

A NAGOYA SCHOOL WOOD NETSUKE OF A COILED SNAKE, ATTRIBUTED TO TAMETAKA Attributed to Tametaka, unsigned Japan, Nagoya, late 18 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Boldly carved as a snake tightly coiled upon itself to form a compact, rounded composition, the broad head resting alertly atop the uppermost coil and the long forked tongue flicking forward. The sinuous body twists through a succession of overlapping coils, the dorsal surface finely worked with neatly incised scales contrasting with the deeply carved transverse scutes of the underside. Natural himotoshi formed by the openings between the coils. The wood beautifully worn and richly patinated to a deep chocolate-brown tone. LENGTH 4 cm Provenance: The Dorothy Ann Stevens Collection of Fine Netsuke & Inro, formed between the 1940s and 1960s. Dorothy Ann Stevens was a collector of Japanese art active during the mid-twentieth century. The wife of the chemist, artist, and collector Henry Potter Stevens (1875–1965), she formed an extensive collection of netsuke, inro, and smoking accessories, with netsuke representing a particular focus of her collecting. Carefully documented and scholarly studied, the collection was maintained independently, with individual inventory numbers assigned to all her acquisitions. Many of these were purchased on the London art market during the 1940s and 1950s and included works with distinguished earlier provenances. Dorothy and Henry maintained closely related but distinct collections and occasionally exchanged objects between them, Henry's interests being particularly associated with inro and hers with netsuke. Preserved within the Stevens family for more than half a century, her collection constitutes a significant and well-documented record of the collecting and study of Japanese miniature arts in the mid-twentieth century. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and typical traces of use. Auction comparison: Compare a related wood netsuke of a snake by Tametaka, 4.8 cm wide, at Bonhams, The Julius & arlette Katchen Collection of Fine Netsuke Part II, 10 May 2017, London, lot 73 (sold for GBP 4,375 or approx. EUR 7,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Note the closely related treatment of the head, scales, and extended tongue, although the present example displays considerably greater wear and patination.