173 - HOKYUDO ITSUMIN: A SUPERB WOOD NETSUKE OF GAMA SENNIN WITH TWO TOADS

HOKYUDO ITSUMIN: A SUPERB WOOD NETSUKE OF GAMA SENNIN WITH TWO TOADS By Hokyudo Itsumin, signed Itsumin 逸民 Japan, Nagoya, early 19 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved as Gama Sennin wearing a thick skirt of mugwort leaves that spreads broadly around him as he straddles a gigantic toad. The amphibian is rendered with a wonderfully forceful, dyspeptic expression, its bloated body and warty skin meticulously articulated with fine stippling. Gama, by contrast, wears a cheerful and amused expression, delighting in the playful reversal of roles as the sage humorously rides upon the toad's back, while a second, smaller toad perches atop his head. His eyes are inlaid with dark horn. Generously excavated, asymmetrical himotoshi to the underside and signed ITSUMIN within an oval reserve. LENGTH 4.5 cm, HEIGHT 4.2 cm Provenance: Ex-collection Betty Jahss. Sotheby’s, The Betty Jahss Collection of Netsuke – Part II (final), 14 November 1991, London, lot 41. From an important European Private Collection, acquired from the above. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear. Non-distracting losses to a few inlaid eyes. Hokyudo Itsumin was a highly accomplished carver of netsuke and okimono who likely began his career in Nagoya, possibly as a pupil of Ittan, before later moving to Edo (Tokyo). The present example belongs to his earlier work, retaining the characteristics of the Nagoya style. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related wood netsuke of Gama sennin with two toads by the same artist, signed Hokyudo Itsumin, 5.4 cm high, see The Victoria & Albert Museum, London, accession no. A.50-1952. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related wood netsuke of a Gama Sennin with two toads by the same artist, signed Hokyudo Itsumin to, 4.4 long, at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 8 May 2026, lot 195 (sold for EUR 4,680).