196 - NAOMASA: A BOXWOOD MANJU NETSUKE OF DESICCATED FISH

NAOMASA: A BOXWOOD MANJU NETSUKE OF DESICCATED FISH By Naomasa, signed Naomasa 直正 Japan, Yamada, Ise Province, 19 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved as a pair of desiccated fish curled tightly into a compact, rounded composition, their bodies overlapping and twisting around one another. The heads are modeled with small, deeply set eyes, while the dried flesh is indicated by extensive fine incision, the skeletal forms exposed. The reverse continues the intricate treatment with overlapping fins. Asymmetrical himotoshi to the reverse, signed NAOMASA in an oval reserve – from the Masanao school. DIAMETER 4.1 cm Provenance: S.V.V. Dumas, Lyon, December 1997. From a French private collection, acquired from the above. Condition: Excellent condition with only minor wear. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related wood manju netsuke of various fish, signed Masanao, 5 cm in diameter, illustrated in Coullery, Marie-Thérèse / Newstead, Martin S. (1977) The Baur Collection, p. 304-305, C920.