181 - MINKO: A REMARKABLE WOOD NETSUKE OF A SNAIL EMERGING FROM ITS SHELL

MINKO: A REMARKABLE WOOD NETSUKE OF A SNAIL EMERGING FROM ITS SHELL By Tanaka Juntoku Minko (1735-1816), signed Minko 珉江 and kakihan Japan, Tsu, late 18 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Superbly carved as a snail emerging from its large shell, the composition revealing strikingly different aspects as it is turned in the hand. One side is deceptively restrained, dominated by the smoothly polished shell with its neat, deeply carved spiral whorl; the reverse bursts into movement as the soft-bodied snail twists sinuously around the shell opening, its head, feelers, and fleshy body curling dynamically across the surface. The contrast between the calm, rounded mass of the shell and the animated, deeply worked creature is particularly effective, the snail’s supple anatomy rendered with remarkable sensitivity and sculptural force. The wood bearing a fine, lustrous patina. Natural himotoshi and signed MINKO with the artist’s typical kakihan to the underside. LENGTH 3.8 cm Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and typical traces of handling. Few light scratches and the tiniest chip to the edge of the snail’s foot. Tanaka Juntoku Minko (1735-1816) was one of the few netsuke carvers named in the Soken Kisho of 1781, the earliest publication to discuss netsuke makers. Celebrated during his lifetime, he became the founder of an influential school in Tsu and is today regarded as one of the great masters of early netsuke carving. Literature comparison: Compare a related boxwood netsuke of a snail on a mushroom by the same artist, signed Minko, illustrated in O'Brien, Mary Louise (1980) Netsuke: A Guide for Collectors, no 51. Compare a related wood netsuke of a snail emerging from its shell by the same artist, signed Minko, illustrated in Contrasting Styles, A Loan Exhibition of Netsuke & Kiseruzutsu from Private English Collections, 25-30 May 1980, p. 32, no. 71.