202 - TADAMITSU: A FINE ANTLER AND WOOD NETSUKE OF THE BUNBUKU CHAGAMA (BADGER TEA KETTLE)

TADAMITSU: A FINE ANTLER AND WOOD NETSUKE OF THE BUNBUKU CHAGAMA (BADGER TEA KETTLE) By Tadamitsu, signed Tadamitsu 忠光 Japan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely and humorously carved as the Bunbuku Chagama, the legendary tanuki transformed into a tea kettle, the compact rounded wood body ingeniously combining the animal’s features with those of the vessel. The badger’s broad face is modeled with a wonderfully droll expression, its small ears emerging from the sides, while the kettle is surmounted by a removable antler cover with a raised knop. Loop handle attachments are carved to the sides. The underside carved with small paws and a central himotoshi. Signed TADAMITSU underneath. HEIGHT 4.1 cm Provenance: Ex-collection W. W. Winkworth. William Wilberforce ‘Billy’ Winkworth (1897–1991) was one of the foremost British collectors and connoisseurs of Chinese and Japanese art of his generation and an important early collector of netsuke. Born into a distinguished collecting family, he worked at the British Museum under R. L. Hobson during the 1920s and later at Sotheby’s and Glendinnings. His discerning eye and close involvement with the London art market made him an influential figure among collectors of Japanese art, particularly netsuke, lacquer, and sword fittings. Condition: Excellent condition. A flaw to the edge of the antler lid. The popular folktale Bunbuku-Chagama tells of a tanuki being mistreated as a teakettle at a temple, before being sold off and bringing great wealth to its new owner using its shapeshifting powers. Auction comparison: Compare a related inlaid wood netsuke depicting the same subject, 3.6 cm long, at Zacke, Asian Art Discoveries, 23 January 2025, Vienna, lot 465 (sold for EUR 7,368).