195 - MASANAO: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE OF A COILED SNAKE

MASANAO: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE OF A COILED SNAKE By a member of the Masanao family, signed Masanao 正直 Japan, Yamada, Ise province, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved as a snake tightly coiled upon itself, its sinuous body forming a perfectly rounded and compact composition. The overlapping coils are meticulously worked with finely articulated scales, contrasting with the neatly incised ventral scutes visible along the underside. The snake rests its head upon the uppermost coil, its small eyes inlaid in dark horn. The body varies subtly in thickness throughout the coils, lending the carving a convincing sense of weight and natural movement. The wood is attractively stained, with the raised scales catching the light against the darker recesses. Natural himotoshi through the body and signed MASANAO within a polished reserve. LENGTH 3.5 cm Provenance: Estate of M. F. P. Lewis, Esq. Sotheby’s, Fine Netsuke, Inro, Ojime and Lacquer Wares, 28 June 1978, London, lot 80. From a French private collection, acquired from the above. Condition: Excellent condition with only very minor wear. Museum comparison: Compare a closely related wood netsuke depicting a coiled snake by the same artist, signed Masanao, 19th century, 4.1 cm long, in the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, object number 99.089.019. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related netsuke in kurogaki wood of a coiled snake by the same artist, signed Masanao, 4.8 cm long, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 6 November 2012, London, lot 118 (for GBP 4,375 or approx. EUR 7,600 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).