198 - MINKO: A FINE EBONY WOOD NETSUKE OF A RECUMBENT GOAT

MINKO: A FINE EBONY WOOD NETSUKE OF A RECUMBENT GOAT By Tanaka Juntoku Minko (1735-1816), signed Minko 岷江 with kakihan Japan, Tsu, late 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Naturalistically carved retaining sophisticated detail, the goat is shown in a reclining posture, the large feet with the hallmark chubby hooves are neatly tucked underneath the body for compactness and the equally large ears and horns are resting against the shoulders and back. The eyes double-inlaid in pale translucent horn with dark pupils and the fur minutely incised. Natural himotoshi and signed underneath MINKO and kakihan. LENGTH 4.5 cm Provenance: The Dorothy Ann Stevens Collection of Fine Netsuke & Inro, formed between the 1940s and 1960s. Purchased from Norton, on 21 January 1953. A copy of the collector’s note, referring to the present lot as no. 169 and confirming the provenance above, accompanies the lot. Dorothy Ann Stevens was a collector of Japanese art active during the mid-twentieth century. The wife of the chemist, artist, and collector Henry Potter Stevens (1875–1965), she formed an extensive collection of netsuke, inro, and smoking accessories, with netsuke representing a particular focus of her collecting. Carefully documented and scholarly studied, the collection was maintained independently, with individual inventory numbers assigned to all her acquisitions. Many of these were purchased on the London art market during the 1940s and 1950s and included works with distinguished earlier provenances. Dorothy and Henry maintained closely related but distinct collections and occasionally exchanged objects between them, Henry's interests being particularly associated with inro and hers with netsuke. Preserved within the Stevens family for more than half a century, her collection constitutes a significant and well-documented record of the collecting and study of Japanese miniature arts in the mid-twentieth century. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and a tiny chip to one hoof. Tanaka Juntoku Minko (1735-1816) was one of the few names mentioned in the Soken Kisho of 1781, the first publication mentioning netsuke. He was famous during his lifetime and is widely regarded as one of the greatest netsuke carvers. At first, he was a carver of Buddhist shrines, and only carved netsuke later, setting up a prolific school in Tsu. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related wood netsuke of a recumbent goat by the same artist, signed Minko with kakihan, 4.1 cm long, at Bonhams, Small and Mighty, 6-16 December 2025, New York, lot 44 (sold for USD 9,600 or approx. EUR 8,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).