168 - IKKAN: A SUPERB WOOD NETSUKE OF A RAT WITH AN EDAMAME BEAN POD

IKKAN: A SUPERB WOOD NETSUKE OF A RAT WITH AN EDAMAME BEAN POD By Ikkan, signed Ikkan 一貫 Japan, Nagoya, early to mid-19 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved and beautifully stained, depicting a plump rat grasping a smooth edamame bean pod between its forepaws. The compact body is superbly modeled, the rounded form animated by finely incised fur that follows the natural contours of the animal. The expressive face is delicately rendered with reddish horn-inlaid eyes. The underside reveals the exceptional care given to every aspect of the carving, with crisply defined feet and a finely articulated tail curling naturally to form the himotoshi. Signed underneath within an oval reserve IKKAN. LENGTH 4.4 cm Provenance: Ex-collection Paul Corbin. Ader Picard Tajan, Paris, 6-7 June 1983, lot 289. A French private collection, acquired from the above. Condition: Excellent condition. Ikkan produced several examples of this subject, and the present netsuke belongs among the finest. Closely related versions are also known by Kano Tomokazu and other artists of the Nagoya school, reflecting the popularity of this distinctive animal type within the group. The close connections between Nagoya and Gifu carvers have recently been explored by Kentaro Akatsu, who argues that these two centres, separated by only around thirty kilometres, should be understood as part of a single netsuke-producing region. Akatsu’s genealogical research places Kano Tomokazu among the central figures of this artistic network, with artists including Ikkan, Ittan, and Ichimin continuing related subjects and carving traditions. Museum comparison: Compare a closely related wood netsuke of a rat with a bean pod by the same artist, signed Ikkan, 2.1 cm high, in the British Museum, registration number HG.607. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related wood netsuke of a rat with a shogi tile, by the same artist, signed Ikkan, 4.3 cm long, at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 28 April 2023, Vienna, lot 86 (sold for EUR 7,150).