283 - GUY SHAW: DRAGON’S EYE OJIME

GUY SHAW: DRAGON’S EYE OJIME By Guy Shaw (1951-2003), signed GS England, c. 1990s Finely carved and stained from mammoth tusk as a mythical dragon’s eye, the naturally occurring layers and coloration of the fossilized tusk skilfully incorporated into the design. The surface opens to reveal a large, luminous amber inlay resembling the fiery gaze of a dragon. The reverse is carved with a leafy bamboo stalk serving as the cord channel and is signed with the artist’s initials GS. HEIGHT 2.6 cm Condition: Excellent condition. Guy Shaw (1951-2003) was one of Britain’s finest netsuke carvers. Shaw attended the Bournemouth College of Art and, some time after graduation, was introduced to netsuke through the collection of his landlord, Francis Dinley. Netsuke carving offered Shaw a means of translating nature, place, and time into miniature sculpture, and it was in this field that his lifelong love of the wild found its fullest expression. Literature comparison: Compare a related acrylic resin ojime of a dragon’s claw by the same artist, dated 1990, 2.3 cm long, illustrated in Kinsey, Miram (2001), Contemporary Netsuke: The Kinsey Collection Accompanied By H. I. H. Takamado Collection, no. 67.