166 - SHIGEKADO: A RARE WOOD NETSUKE OF A DOG WITH TWO PUPPIES

SHIGEKADO: A RARE WOOD NETSUKE OF A DOG WITH TWO PUPPIES By Shigekado, signed Shigekado 重門 Japan, early 19 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved and attractively stained, the adult dog seated with its body curved protectively around its two puppies, lowering its head affectionately while placing one forepaw gently across the back of one youngster. The puppies wriggle animatedly beneath their parent, one with its hind leg stretched outward and tail tightly curled, lending the compact composition a delightful sense of movement and intimacy. The animals are rendered with floppy ears, neatly incised fur and carefully delineated paws, their expressive eyes inlaid in dark horn. Natural himotoshi and signed SHIGEKADO. HEIGHT 4.2 cm, LENGTH 4.6 cm Provenance: From the private collection of Lu Xiaguang, and thence by descent. AuctionArt, 21 February 2014, Paris, lot 9. From a noted French private collection, acquired from the above. Lu Xiaguang (1906-1994) was a Chinese painter who became a protegé of Xu Beihong in 1929 and learned oil painting in the Western style. On Xu’s advice, he studied painting at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and the Royal Academy of Belgium, after which he returned to Paris. He copied famous paintings from various schools in the Louvre, studied with great concentration, and collected paintings, art objects, and antiques. In 1984, he established the Lu Xiaguang Studio in Paris, which contributed to the cultural exchange between China and France. In 1993, Lu Xiaguang donated his life's work and his art collection of cultural relics, calligraphy, and painting to the People’s Republic of China. His works and collection are permanently displayed in the Zhejiang Provincial Museum in Hangzhou. Condition: Excellent condition with only minor wear. Shigekado appears to have been an exceedingly rare carver, with only one other netsuke by the artist apparently recorded in the literature, a composition of a shishi and tanuki formerly in the Brockhaus collection, though it was not illustrated.