187 - A FINE WOOD NAGOYA SCHOOL SHUNGA NETSUKE OF AN OCTOPUS OPENING A CLAM

A FINE WOOD NAGOYA SCHOOL SHUNGA NETSUKE OF AN OCTOPUS OPENING A CLAM Unsigned Japan, Nagoya, first half of the 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Published: Barry Davies Oriental Art (2001) Selected Netsuke and Inro for exhibition at the International Netsuke Society Convention, Boston, no. 11. Finely carved as an octopus enveloping a cluster of shells, its rounded head emerging above the dense composition as the curling tentacles wind between, over, and around the various shell forms. At the center, two powerful limbs grasp the valves of a clam and force them apart, exposing the fleshy interior, while further bivalves and shells are almost completely engulfed by the writhing mass below. The smooth, swelling head and boldly modeled tentacles contrast strikingly with the crisp ridges and varied surfaces of the shells, the undersides of the limbs meticulously worked with rows of suckers. The octopus peers intently toward the opened clam with large inlaid eyes and a puckered mouth, lending the encounter a wonderfully mischievous and distinctly shunga character. Natural himotoshi. Unsigned, however the carving may be attributed to Masatomo or to a close and highly accomplished Nagoya carver working in his immediate circle. LENGTH 4 cm Provenance: With Barry Davies Oriental Art, London, 2001. From a noted German private collection, Munich, Germany, acquired from the above. Condition: Excellent condition. A natural flaw to the wood on one tentacle. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related Nagoya school wood netsuke of an octopus in a pot by Masatomo, 4.5 cm high, at Bonhams, 8 November 2016, London, lot 156 (sold for GBP 4,000 or approx. EUR 7,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).