NETSUKE: COILED RAT; SCRATCHING ON THE EAR.
Japan. Edo Period. 1830-50.

Wood. The compact animal with very fine hairwork; darkly stained and undulated tail; swung nearly around the whole body. This is a very successfully individual model of the Yamada-school. The eyes are inlayed with black horn. The paws and ears are excellently and very naturalistically carved. Such an individual design is hardly to be found among the plentiful models of this subject. Sign.: Masamichi on oval cartouche; cf. MCI p. 431; who obviously didn't know the present model. Condition A.

Provenance:
-Collection Raymond & Francis Bushell; sold at Sotheby's New York 03/2000; Cat. no. 137.



Art trade; Van Ham.