213 - MIWA: A GOOD WOOD NETSUKE OF AN ENTERTAINER WITH A FAN AND STRING OF COINS

MIWA: A GOOD WOOD NETSUKE OF AN ENTERTAINER WITH A FAN AND STRING OF COINS By Miwa, signed Miwa 三輪 Japan, Edo (Tokyo), late 18 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved as a standing entertainer, his head tilted back and his eyes narrowed in a delighted expression as he raises a folding fan before his mouth. He wears a cowl and loosely draped robes, one shoulder and his ample belly left exposed, the garment falling in deeply carved folds around his slender legs. In his other hand, he grasps a long string of coins. The well-toned wood bears a fine, smooth patina. Large himotoshi to the back. Signed underneath the robe MIWA. HEIGHT 5.8 cm Provenance: The Swanson Collection, Brisbane, Australia. Condition: Excellent condition with old wear. The himotoshi exhibit signs of use including a few tiny nicks. Literature comparison: Compare a related wood netsuke catalogued as a laughing shojo with a fan and dipper, by the same artist, signed Miwa, illustrated in Joly, Henri (1975) Catalogue of the H. Seymour Trower Collection of Japanese Art, p. 10, pl. VI, no. 166. Auction comparison: Compare a related wood netsuke of a sake seller with coins, by the same artist, signed Miwa, 7.9 cm high, at Sotheby’s, Japanese Paintings, Prints and Works of Art, 16-17 June 1994, London, lot 215 (sold for GBP 950 or approx. EUR 2,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).