170 - Ɏ MASATOSHI: A SUPERB IVORY NETSUKE OF A PIEBALD HARE WITH AMBER EYES

Ɏ MASATOSHI: A SUPERB IVORY NETSUKE OF A PIEBALD HARE WITH AMBER EYES By Masatoshi, signed Masatoshi 正利 Japan, Nagoya, c. 1880, Meiji period (1868-1912) Exquisitely carved as a seated hare of compact, naturalistic form, its powerful hindquarters drawn tightly beneath the rounded body and one forepaw raised delicately before the chest. The head is gently lifted, the long ears laid back along the neck, and the entire coat rendered with meticulous, flowing hairwork. Irregular brown-stained patches are applied across the pale ivory to create a striking piebald coat, lending the animal considerable warmth and individuality. The large, lustrous eyes are inlaid in translucent amber. Natural himotoshi and signed MASATOSHI within an oval reserve. LENGTH 3 cm Provenance: Sotheby’s London, Catalogue of Netsuke in Wood and Ivory, Inro and Lacquer Wares, Japanese Ivory Carvings and Decorative Works of Art, 29 March 1972, lot 226. Douglas J. K. Wright, London, acquired from the above. From a noted French private collection, acquired from the above. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, expected age cracks and a tiny nibble to one ear. This compact hare with inlaid eyes became one of the most recognizable models of the Nagoya school. Earlier examples were predominantly carved in cherry wood, while later carvers increasingly treated the subject in ivory. The present ivory hare belongs to this later development and is particularly close in conception to the celebrated Masatoshi hare from the de Waal family collection, immortalized in Edmund de Waal’s The Hare with Amber Eyes. Museum comparison: Compare a closely related hare with amber eyes by the same artist, signed Masatoshi, from the de Waal Family Collection, subject of the publication Edmund de Waal, The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Hidden Inheritance, Chatto & Windus, Great Britain, 2010 (illustrated on the cover). Auction comparison: Compare a closely related ivory netsuke of a hare by the same artist, signed Masatoshi, 3.5 cm long, at Bonhams, Netsuke from a European Private Collection, 8 May 2016, London, lot 14 (sold for GBP 2,500 or approx. EUR 4,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number IT/CE/2024/MI/00316). This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.