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VARIOUS MINING & SURVEYING INSTRUMENTS including, TWO VINTAGE MINING APPARATUSES, comprising Kelvin Bottomley & Baird Ltd. Aitken's Portable Dust Counter, cased with leaflet, and Cooke Troughton & Sims Optical Plummet with 2 tribrachs and 2 interchangable targets, cased, TWO RARE ONE-SECOND THEODOLITES, comprising Hilger & Watts microptic theodolite no.2 with tribrach, and a Cooke Tavistock theodolite with tribrach, together with SWISS KERN K1-RA SELF REDUCING ENGINEERS TACHYMETER THEODOLITE, green painted metal domed case (5)Provenance: private collection South WalesComments: all used condition, working order not guaranteed, Swiss Kern - leather strap broken, inspection advised

RARE GEORGE III IRISH SILVER RIBBON SCISSORS, maker 'T.E', Dublin 1820, modelled as a standing stork, the body revealing a swaddled baby, engraved phoenix crest to base of foot with further initials 'LAW'Provenance: private collection PembrokeshireComments: good overall, wear commensurate with age, finger holes misshapen

A LARGE AND RARE FOUR-CASE LACQUER INRO WITH HOTEI AND DARUMAUnsignedJapan, 17th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The large, bulky inro bearing a roiro ground, finely lacquered to both sides in rubbed gold and red hiramaki-e with highlights of kirigane, raden (shell inlays), and nashiji, to depict a seated Hotei raising a tama (flaming pearl) high and sitting before an iridescent flame issuing from a censer. The reverse similarly decorated with Daruma (Bodhidharma) holding a hossu (Buddhist fly whisk) symbolizing the sweeping away of mental distractions and ignorance. The interior compartments lacquered in gold. With a finely carved bone ojime.HEIGHT 7.6 cm, LENGTH 7.2 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor typical rubbing to lacquer and expected losses to shell and kirigane inlays. Provenance: Galerie Souquet, Paris, October 17, 1966. Collection of Robert and Isabelle de Strycker, acquired from the above. Robert de Strycker (1903-1968) was a French engineer who specialized in metallurgy. He was a Stanford graduate, a professor at the University of Leuven, a director of the Institute of Metallurgy at the Université Catholique de Louvain, and one of the most influential members of the faculty of applied sciences. After World War II, he made large contributions to France's post-war recovery. Robert and his wife Isabelle (1915-2010) first encountered Chinese art at the British Museum during a stay in London in the 1930s. Enamored with the style and beauty, they both decided to study and collect Chinese works of art. In 1938 they eventually began to build their collection, buying from Belgian, Parisian, and English dealers. They kept close contact with the famous English collector Sir Harry Garner (1891-1977) and noted Czech collector and expert Fritz Low-Beer (1906-1976). In 1964, the couple lent 174 objects from their collection to the Belgian city of Leuven's museum for an exhibition titled Oude kunst in Leuvens Privébezit ('Old Art in Private Collections in Leuven'), and in 1967 they lent around thirty Japanese objects to the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels for their exhibition Kunst van Japan im belgischen Privatverzameingen ('Japanese Art in Belgian Private Collections').Literature comparison:For a related example depicting Chinese figures sitting by a waterfall see Sydney L. Moss Ltd. (2014) Lac Lacquer Lacquest, pp. 54-55.

A RARE TALL IVORY NETSUKE OF THE PRAWN SENNIN KENSUUnsignedJapan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Published: OEstasiatiska Museet (1999) Netsuke, p. 63.Exhibited: OEstasiatiska Museet, Sweden, Stockholm, 16 October 1999 – 9 January 2000.Kensu (in Chinese Xianzi), also known as the Ebi (prawn) Sennin or shrimp eater, was a Zen monk famous for breaking the Vinaya code on eating meat, and thus paradoxically gaining enlightenment. He was rumored to wander riverbanks and fish only for lobster and clams. The tall ivory netsuke shows him holding a lobster slung over his shoulder with an ecstatic expression, signifying his enlightenment. He wears only a straw skirt, shoes and shin guards, his body slightly emaciated, the rib cage and spine in the back vividly expressed. The backside shows a fine honey patina and the asymmetrical, generously excavated himotoshi.HEIGHT 12.2 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor expected wear and few natural age cracks.Provenance: Ex collection Mrs. Gunvor Bjorkman. Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 27 March 2020, Vienna, lot 13. German private collection, acquired from the above.Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number AT 23-B-0358).This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.

A TALL AND RARE WOOD NETSUKE OF AN AMA (DIVING GIRL)UnsignedJapan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)A tall and pleasingly worn wood netsuke depicting an ama with sensitively crafted features, naked save for a loincloth, lifting one leg and slightly hunched over to wring the water from her skirt, her long hair neatly tied and lacquered in black. Very large and generously excavated himotoshi to the back. The well-toned wood bearing a beautiful and dark, unctuous patina.HEIGHT 10.9 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear. The black-lacquered details attractively worn. Provenance: Kirin Gallery, December 1990. Ex-collection Guy de Lasteyrie, acquired from the above. De Lasteyrie is a member of the Lasteyrie du Saillant family and is considered among the leading French collectors of netsuke.Netsuke depicting ama are much more commonly seen carved from ivory, moreover they are usually depicted holding a shell or knife. The present piece is not only unusual due to the choice of material, but the size and rather unique portrayal make this netsuke a true rarity.

A SUPERB AND RARE IVORY NETSUKE OF A TENNIN (BUDDHIST ANGEL)UnsignedJapan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Published: Joly, Henri (1908) Legend in Japanese Art, p. 521.Joly, Henri L. (1912) The W. L. Behrens Collection, Part 1, Netsuke, no. 274 and illustrated on pl. V.The Buddhist angel (apsara in sanskrit) depicted in mid-flight, her celestial scarf and the tail feathers of her hagoromo (feather dress) swaying gracefully in the wind. Her hair is tied in a high chignon mounted by a chrysanthemum-tiara and she holds a lotus flower with both hands before her. Her facial features reflect her beauty and divineness as she smiles gracefully. The ivory bearing a lovely, warm, and lustrous patina. Good asymmetrical himotoshi through the underside, the larger oval hole generously excavated to accommodate the knot.LENGTH 7.2 cmCondition: Good condition with minor wear and few age cracks. Some old, non-distracting chips here and there.Provenance: Ex-collection W. L. Behrens (1861-1913). Sold at Sotheby's, 19 June 1996, London, lot 170. Ex-collection Guy de Lasteyrie, acquired from the above. De Lasteyrie is a member of the Lasteyrie du Saillant family and is considered among the leading French collectors of netsuke.Auction comparison:Compare a closely related ivory netsuke of a tennin, of slightly larger size (7.9 cm), at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 29 October 2021, Vienna, lot 23 (sold for EUR 15,168).Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number FR220750619-K). This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.

A LARGE AND RARE WOOD NETSUKE OF A FOX PRIEST (HAKUZOSU)UnsignedJapan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Standing enveloped in a long robe, a large cowl draped over its head, tied at the back, the superbly carved face with a sly expression. The carving is imbued with fantastic movement, as the kitsune confidently turns its head to left, its loosely fitted robe with billowing sleeves swaying in the wind as a result. Generously excavated and very large himotoshi to the back. The beautifully worn, old wood netsuke bearing a stunning, dark patina.HEIGHT 9 cmCondition: Worn condition with few old chips and tiny nicks here and there. A section of the staff lost. Presents well.Hakuzosu is the name of a popular kitsune character who shapeshifted into a priest in the Kyogen play Tsurigitsune. Kitsune are creatures imbued with magical powers and are known to have the ability to shapeshift. They are also believed to be animated by the devils.Auction comparison:While many variants of this 18th-century subject exist in ivory, they are exceedingly rare carved in wood. For another example carved in wood, unsigned, see Sotheby's, Fine Netsuke from the Henri Vever Collection, 27 March 1974, London, lot 90.

A SUPERB AND RARE WOOD AND LACQUER NETSUKE OF KIYOHIMEUnsignedJapan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Superbly carved as the vengeful, serpentine monster Kiyohime, encircling the bell of Dojo-ji, its scaly body boldly carved and the tail terminating in the tip of a ken-sword. The bell is adorned with cloud scroll and studs, and Kiyohime's loosely fitted robe and long hair are elaborately carved and stained dark for effect. Kiyohime holds a striker in one hand and the looped handle of the bell in the other, her Hannya-like face is marked by a defiant grin, the tongue sticking out in mockery of Anchin who had dismissed her love. The bell is embellished with brilliant gold and red lacquer. One large himotoshi through the bell, tucked under the body of Kiyohime.HEIGHT 5.8 cmCondition: Old repair to section of bell underneath. A further crack with associated old repair near the upper band of decoration to the bell. A small chip to the hair by the right side of the face. Generally in good condition and presenting beautifully.Auction comparison:The present netsuke belong to an illustrious group of characterful netsuke of bold design which utilize lacquered elements for effect. For two examples recently sold at auction see Bonhams, Netsuke from the Collection of Joseph and Elena Kurstin, 16 December 2022, New York, lot 1 (sold for USD 21,674) and Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr, Myth, Mirth and Magic – Important Netsuke and Sagemono from the Guy de Lasteyrie Collection, 14 June 2023, Paris, lot 97 (sold for EUR 12,160).

YOSHITOSHI: A SUPERB AND LARGE WOOD NETSUKE OF KAN'U STROKING HIS BEARDBy Yoshitoshi, signed Yoshitoshi 慶寿Japan, late 18th to early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Published: Sagemonoya (2022) A Selection of Netsuke & Sagemono from the Collection of Georgina & Gabor Wilhelm, p. 12, no. 9.A powerfully sculpted and large netsuke of remarkable thickness depicting the God of War Kan'u (Guan Yu) standing proudly and stroking his long and elegantly flowing beard. The legendary general wears a cloud-patterned robe below a cuirass with beast-masked shoulder plates. Note the superbly carved facial features and fingers which curl around his beard and are placed against his hip. Two large himotoshi to the back and signed towards the hem of the robe YOSHITOSHI.HEIGHT 8.8 cmCondition: Good condition with minor wear and traces of use. Some light chipping with associated repairs to the edge of the robe in the back.Provenance: The Gabor Wilhelm Collection, Paris.Guan Yu (died 220) was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Guan Yu's life was lionised and his achievements glorified to such an extent after his death that he was deified during the Sui dynasty. He is reported to have had a 'peerless beard'. In the present netsuke he is depicted in a portraitist manner with particular attention devoted to the long beard, which is central to the composition, the eyes of the viewer being immediately drawn to the curved, elegant fingers caressing this legendary figure's facial hair.Literature comparison:Only two works are recorded by this exceptionally rare artist in Fuld's Netsuke and Ojime Index. One depicting Gama Sennin is illustrated in Meinertzhagen, Frederick / Lazarnick, George (1986) MCI, Part B, p. 992, and the other depicts a man tying his fundoshi illustrated in Barry Davies Oriental Art, The Netsuke Collection of W.G Bosshard Part 1, no. 92.

A RARE TALL IVORY NETSUKE OF A KOKYU PLAYERUnsignedJapan, Osaka, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The musician holding the kokyu in one hand and the accompanying horsehair strung bow in the other, clad in a kimono tied at the waist with an obi detailed with a geometric design, the smiling face with raised brows and full cheeks, the head covered with a headdress. The back with a generously excavated, angled himotoshi.HEIGHT 9.1 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and traces of use. A few natural age cracks.Provenance: From a German private collection. To the pad of the foot, an old collector's number inscribed, '127.'The kokyu is a traditional Japanese string instrument, the only one played with a bow. Horse tail hair is bound to make the hair for the bow. This hair is detachable; a cord is attached to the tip of the hair on the side of the hand; and the cord is tied to a small metallic ring attached to the wood part of the bow. Most of the bows of Kokyu that are used in the genre of Sangyoku (played in combination with Kokyu and two other Japanese instruments) are long, and bows with a hair length of seventy centimeters and a total length exceeding one meter are common. In addition, a large amount of hair is used, and it is a feature of the bows of this type to have the hair string attached at a moderate tension. This charming depiction, full of character, is one which derives from a fairly prolific and thus far anonymous artist – or more likely workshop – in the late eighteenth century. The milky-white ivory and the concern with surface and line indicate they were based in or close to Osaka, and their figures are of medium rather than outsize scale and always smile.Auction comparison:Compare a related Osaka school ivory netsuke of a street vendor at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 4th November 2022, Vienna, lot 8 (sold for EUR 8,596).Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number AT 23-B-0347).This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.

A RARE AND AMUSING THREE-CASE LACQUER INRO DEPICTING A PERFORMING TROUPEAttributed to Tsuchida Soetsu (c. 1660-1745), unsignedJapan, late 17th to early 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The early small three-case inro of rectangular from, bearing a roiro ground, decorated in gold takamaki-e and hiramaki-e with some typical inlays of mitsuda (pewter) and mother-of-pearl. The charming motif depicting a troupe of performers with three figures on one side pulling desperately at an inlaid rope attached to a stuck pole on which a stubborn monkey sits, wearing an inlaid mother-of-pearl hat, as a crowd of five figures gesticulate and laugh as they watch. The top and bottom as well as the sides decorated with gold-lacquered geometric designs. The interior cases of nashiji with gold fundame edges. With a reticulated bone ojime.HEIGHT 5.3 cm, LENGTH 6.1 cmCondition: Good condition with wear, losses to some inlays and ojime, tiny nicks, some losses to the interior gold fundame lining, all consistent with age and use and overall presenting well.Provenance: Gallery Van Stockum, the Hague, 25 June 1957. Collection of Robert and Isabelle de Strycker, acquired from the above and thence by descent in the same family. The upper case with an old collector's label, 'L 565.' Robert de Strycker (1903-1968) was a French engineer who specialized in metallurgy. He was a Stanford graduate, a professor at the University of Leuven, a director of the Institute of Metallurgy at the Université Catholique de Louvain, and one of the most influential members of the faculty of applied sciences. After World War II, he made large contributions to France's post-war recovery. Robert and his wife Isabelle (1915-2010) first encountered Chinese art at the British Museum during a stay in London in the 1930s. Enamored with the style and beauty, they both decided to study and collect Chinese works of art. In 1938 they eventually began to build their collection, buying from Belgian, Parisian, and English dealers. They kept close contact with the famous English collector Sir Harry Garner (1891-1977) and noted Czech collector and expert Fritz Low-Beer (1906-1976). In 1964, the couple lent 174 objects from their collection to the Belgian city of Leuven's museum for an exhibition titled Oude kunst in Leuvens Privébezit ('Old Art in Private Collections in Leuven'), and in 1967 they lent around thirty Japanese objects to the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels for their exhibition Kunst van Japan im belgischen Privatverzameingen ('Japanese Art in Belgian Private Collections').The first Tsuchida Soetsu may have lived between 1660-1745, possibly a descendant of one of the Tsuchida artists living and working at Koetsu's Takagamine enclave near Kyoto. His inro are said to have been large, but most examples of his work still in existence are rather small in size. The first Soetsu later changed his name to Shoetsu, handing on the name of Soetsu to his successors in the lineage.The design was likely copied or inspired by the work of Hanabusa Itcho (1652-1724), the comical faces and subject matter being very much in line with Itcho's work.Auction comparison:Compare a related three-case lacquer inro depicting a carp and fishnet, signed Shoetsu, with similarly applied mother-of-pearl inlays, at Bonhams, The Edward Wrangham Collection of Japanese Art Part IV, 6 November 2013, London, lot 140 (sold for GBP 5,250).

AN AMUSING AND RARE IVORY NETSUKE OF A RECUMBENT SHISHIUnsignedJapan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The fierce shishi carved in a peculiar and whimsical pose, sprawled on its side with one leg resting lazily on its side while the others curl and extend in an indolent posture. With its abnormally large head, the face is powerfully carved with its mouth agape exposing its large teeth and tongue, its bulging eyes beneath furrowed brows, and its mane incised with large curls. Two well-hollowed himotoshi to the base. The polished ivory is pleasing to touch and has a rich, honey-yellow hue to the base.LENGTH 5.2 cmCondition: Good condition with minor, natural expected age cracks, and a nerve channel on the backMuseum comparison: Compare a closely related ivory netsuke depicting a reclining shishi, unsigned, dated mid-18th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the MET), New York, accession no. 10.211.1098.Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number AT 23-B-0334).This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.

RANJO: A SUPERB AND RARE WOOD NETSUKE OF A RECUMBENT BOARBy Ranjo, signed Ranjo 蘭如Japan, late 18th to early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Naturalistically carved, the resting boar sitting on its legs, three tucked beneath it with a single front leg partly outstretched, lending movement to the composition. The heavy animal with its ears laid back, its eyes double-inlaid in pale translucent horn with dark pupils. Its flat nose with two large wrinkles finely detailed on the edge of its snout, the mouth inlaid with stained-bone tusks. The hairwork is masterfully incised and beautifully worn. Two asymmetrical himotoshi generously excavated to the base. Signed to the base within an oval reserve RANJO. A remarkably sensitive and naturalistic carving, executed in the Kyoto style, by a very rare carver.LENGTH 5.2 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and traces of use. One microscopic chip to the very edge of one hoof. One eye-pupil replaced.Provenance: From an old private collection in Austria.Literature comparison:Compare the only other known work by the artist, an ebony netsuke of a minogame with inlays, signed Ranjo, illustrated in Meinertzhagen, Frederick / Lazarnick, George (1986) MCI, Part B, p. 636.

A RARE WOOD NETSUKE-OKIMONO OF A CAT GEISHA AND CLIENTUnsignedJapan, second half of 19th centuryFinely carved as a cat geisha dressed in a typical kimono and with one forepaw raised in a dancing posture, her cat client curled up around her feet. The eyes are minute inlays of dark horn. Natural himotoshi.HEIGHT 5.5 cmCondition: Some small chips with associated repairs. Otherwise, good condition with minor wear.Musuem comparison:Compare a closely related netsuke, dated to the 19th century, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 10.211.2035.Auction comparison:Compare a closely related netsuke-okimono depicting the same subject at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 29 October 2021, Vienna, lot 201 (sold for 8,848 EUR).

GYOKUYOSAI: A RARE AND FINE IVORY NETSUKE OF A YABUMI (LOVE LETTER)By Gyokuyosai, signed Gyokuyosai 玉陽齋Japan, Edo (Tokyo), mid-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)A beautifully stained ivory netsuke in the form of a folded yabumi (love letter), the front finely decorated with various elaborate mon designs enclosed in sunken panels, the fine engraving enhanced with sumi (ink). The back with two himotoshi and the signature GYOKUYOSAI.LENGTH 5.4 cmCondition: Excellent condition with minor typical wear.Literature comparison:Compare a closely related ivory netsuke of a love letter by Gyokuyosai bearing a different design, illustrated in Davey, Neil K. (1974) Netsuke: A comprehensive study based on the M.T. Hindson Collection, no. 394.Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number FR2207511170-K). This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.

MASAKAZU: A RARE IVORY NETSUKE DEPICTING ARABABA AND THE SPARROWBy Masakazu, signed Masakazu 正一Japan, Osaka, mid-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Depicting a disconcerting scene from the Tongue-Cut Sparrow (Shitakiri Suzume), the cantankerous Arababa holds her shears while the sparrow, whose tongue will soon be cut, flees behind her. The hag is finely carved with a wrinkled face bearing an innocent smirk, she wears a fine kimono and holds her belt with her left hand and the shears in her right. Her long hair, carved with fine strokes, falls elegantly down her back and is tied into her belt. The sparrow fleeing behind her left shoulder has its visible eye inlaid in dark horn. The asymmetrical himotoshi are finely excavated and functional. The artist's signature, MASAKAZU, etched within an elliptical reserve on the back of her right leg.HEIGHT 4.8 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear.Auction comparison:The present variation of this subject is very rare. For a more common depiction of Arababa riding the back of the sparrow and holding her shears, see at Sotheby's, Fine Netsuke & Ojime from the H.G. Beasley Collection, London, 14 March 1984, lot 2.Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number FR2207512927-K). This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.

MINKO: A TALL AND RARE WOOD NETSUKE OF A KAPPA FONDLING A CUCUMBERBy Tanaka Juntoku Minko (1735-1816), signed Minko 岷江 and kakihanJapan, Tsu, late 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Boldly carved in dark-reddish wood as a naked standing kappa, its body emaciated with pronounced musculature and ribs, fondling a large cucumber with both hands, the feet clenched and overlapping, its face with an amusing expression as the mythical creature slightly extends its tongue and glares to the left, the pupils inlaid in dark horn. The top of the head is carved with a concave section to simulate the natural cavity which retains the kappa's vital fluids. Signed MINKO with a kakihan to the side of the left leg. The large and functional himotoshi are formed by one hole to the back and one under the right arm.HEIGHT 10 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor typical wear and traces of useAccording to folklore there are two ways to escape a kappa encounter unharmed. One is to feed it with a cucumber, which is the kappa's favorite food, and the other is to bow, as kappa are exceedingly polite creatures and find it difficult to resist returning the favor, thus spilling its vital fluids from its head cavity.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 school in Tsu. His earlier output was focused largely on tall figures, such as the present piece, carved with bold features and often with overlapping feet. Much of his later work was dedicated to carvings of animals of the zodiac. His figures, such as the present piece, possess remarkable power and sculptural quality.Literature comparison:Compare a closely related wood figure of a kappa with cucumber illustrated in Sagemonoya (2004) Ninety-Nine Netsuke & One Inro, p. 50, no. 71.Auction comparison:Compare a related wood netsuke of a male kappa by Minko at Bonhams, The Edward Wrangham Collection of Japanese Art Part V, 5 November 2014, London, lot 54 (sold for 6,875 GBP).

MINKO: A RARE WOOD NETSUKE OF MOSOBy Tanaka Juntoku Minko (1735-1816), signed Minko 岷江 and kakihanJapan, Tsu, late 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Boldly carved as Moso, one of the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars, who went into the woods in the middle of winter to look for bamboo shoots, a favorite dish of his ailing and dying mother. Here he is depicted standing happily, wearing a typical hat, two large bamboo shoots slung over his back. The well-toned pale boxwood bearing a fine patina. Signed underneath the left foot MINKO and kakihan.HEIGHT 4.8 cmCondition: Good condition with few tiny nicks here and there, a small crack to the stick.Literature comparison:A closely related or possibly the same wood netsuke, formerly in the collections Henri T. Reiss and W. W. Winkworth, is recorded in Meinertzhagen, Frederick / Lazarnick, George (1986) MCI, Part A, p. 515. Meinertzhagen notes: “It is a genuine & a humorous masterpiece”.

A REMARKABLE, LARGE MANJU WOOD NETSUKE OF A DRAGON CHASING A TAMABy Masatomi, signed Masatomi 正富Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)A powerfully carved, large and thick manju wood netsuke with a circumferential design of a writhing dragon with boldly incised scales, flames, and whiskers, chasing a flaming tama which it clutches in one claw. The deeply stained wood bearing a fine patina. One large, central himotoshi. The top and underside show a neatly incised swirling design from which cresting waves emerge, crashing against the sides. Signed underneath within an oval reserve MASATOMI – the artist is rare with only very few works recorded, evidently working in the Tanba style.DIAMETER 6.2 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear to exposed areas, few tiny nicks here and there, possibly an old, tiny fill to the top of the dragon's body.Auction comparison:Compare a closely related wood netsuke depicting a dragon by the same artist, signed Masatomi, at Sotheby's, The Cornelius V.S. Roosevelt Collection of Netsuke, 2 June 1992, New York, lot 75.

MINKO: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE OF A MONKEY EATIING FRUITWorkshop of Tanaka Juntoku Minko (1735-1816), signed Minko 岷江Japan, Tsu, early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Finely carved as a monkey (saru) seated, grabbing both its feet, forming a compact composition, and biting into a small fruit. The eyes are double inlaid in pale and dark horn and the upper row of teeth are inlaid in bone. The wood is beautifully stained and polished, the fur neatly engraved. Natural himotoshi and signed MINKO within a polished reserve underneath the left leg.HEIGHT 2.9 cmCondition: Very good condition, minor wear, few tiny nicks consistent with age and handling.Provenance: Hotel Drouot, 16 October 1989. Piasa, 16 December 2004, Paris, lot 204. French private collection, acquired from the above. Sold at Bonhams, Fine Netsuke from a French Private Collection, 4 November 2020, London, lot 80 (sold for GBP 1,912).Tanaka Juntoku Minko (1735-1816) and his followers excelled in the carving of zodiac animals, producing many examples of goats, tigers, horses, and boars; the monkey, however, is a relatively rare subject by this carver.

A RARE WOOD NETSUKE OF A SNAKE ON A ROOF TILEUnsignedJapan, 19th centuryNaturalistically carved, the twisting snake coiling around an old roof tile with two bird feathers resting near its head from its recent meal. The skin of the snake is finely detailed with scales all over, its mouth is carved slightly agape exposing its forked tongue; its expression is one of deep satisfaction. The glistening eyes are inlaid with translucent buffalo horn. Its body drapes slightly over the curved roof tile, which is carved on the side with a decorative tama exuding flames. The himotoshi to the base is formed by a raised arch.LENGTH 4.8 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear.The subject appears to be very rare, quite possibly unique, with no other examples recorded in public collections and literature.

ITTAN: A RARE AND FINE NAGOYA SCHOOL WOOD NETSUKE OF A HORSE WITH FOXBy Ittan, signed Ittan 一旦 gi 戯 saku 作Japan, Nagoya, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Published: Netsuke Kenkyukai Study Journal (1995) vol. 15, no. 2, p. 47.Superbly carved from cherry wood as a recumbent horse with its head raised and feet drawn close for compactness, the shaggy mane and bushy tail neatly incised, a small fox clambering onto the horse's back, raising one paw as if to tap the horse on its shoulder. Natural himotoshi and signed underneath ITTAN gi saku [carved in fun by Ittan].LENGTH 4.1 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear consistent with age and handling.Provenance: Ex-collection M. H., sold at Hotel Drouot, 31 March 1995, Paris, lot 18 (sold for FF 50,000). French private collection, acquired from the above. Literature comparison:Fuld's Netsuke and Ojime Index lists only three netsuke depicting this rare and unusual subject. One is the present netsuke by Ittan and two are by Yoshihisa, one being illustrated in Davey, Neil K. (1974) Netsuke: A comprehensive study based on the M.T. Hindson Collection, no. 672.Auction comparison:Compare a related wood netsuke by Ittan, depicting a cat geisha and also with the suffix gi 戯 (fun) at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 16 April 2021, Vienna, lot 131 (sold for EUR 10,980).

HARA YOYUSAI: A SUPERB AND VERY RARE FIVE-CASE GOLD LACQUER INRO WITH DUTCHMENBy Hara Yoyusai (1772-1845/6), signed Yoyusai saku 羊遊斎作Japan, first half of 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Published: Oriental Art Magazine (1957), vol. 3, no. 1, p. 15.Of upright form and oval section, bearing a beautiful and lustrous gold kinji ground, lacquered in iro-e takamaki-e with some hiramaki-e details, depicting to the front a Dutchman dressed in traditional robes and holding a cane and long kiseru (pipe), looking to his left at a hound being presented to him by his fellow countryman. The verso depicts a Dutch ship arriving at Nagasaki harbor, amid turbulent waves and silver-lacquered sprays, a few Dutchmen visible on the ship below the majestically towering masts and sails. Signed to the underside YOYUSAI. The interior cases of nashiji with gold fundame rims.With a fine gold ojime depicting a cricket amongst grasses.HEIGHT 11.3 cm, LENGTH 5.5 cmCondition: Excellent condition with only very minor wear.Provenance: Sotheby's, 17 December 1957, London. A noted private collection, assembled by the previous owner's great-grandfather and thence by descent. With old collection labels to the interior of the top case.The design of the present inro were likely taken from Nagasaki prints, Nagasaki-e, a genre of ukiyo-e woodblock prints, produced in Nagasaki during the Edo period, that depict the port city of Nagasaki, the Dutch and Chinese who frequented it, and other foreign curiosities such as exotic fauna and Dutch and Chinese ships.Hara Yoyusai (1772-1845/6) lived in Edo and worked under the patronage of Lord Matsudaira.Auction comparison:Compare a related silver lacquer five-case inro by the same artist and signed Yoyusai saku, depicting Portuguese traders at Bonhams, 6 November 2012, London, lot 37 (sold for GBP 46,850). Also compare a related gold lacquer five-case inro, depicting Dutchman, by the Kajikawa family, at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 28 April 2023, Vienna, lot 343 (sold for EUR 10,400).

MASANAGA: A MASTERFUL NAGOYA SCHOOL WOOD NETSUKE OF TWO PLAYING RATSBy Masanaga, signed Masanaga 正長Japan, Nagoya, first half of 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Published: Exhibition catalogue, The Japan House Gallery New York, The Magnificent Three: Lacquer, Netsuke and Tsuba, Selections from the Charles A. Greenfield Collection, no. 146 (unillustrated).The two rodents huddled intimately, one forming a ball on the ground and covering one eye with one paw while the other clambers over it, the three visible eyes inlaid in lustrous, dark-reddish horn. The hairwork is masterfully incised against the deeply polished cherry wood, giving the netsuke a marvelously tactile feel in the hand. The underside shows both thick tails curling around, forming the himotoshi, and the finely carved paws, as well as the signature MASANAGA within a polished reserve.Not much is known about the artist other than that he worked in the Nagoya style and that his work is considerably rare. Masanaga's netsuke at their peak seem to possess more individual character and artistic freedom than his Nagoya contemporaries. The artist shows extraordinary powers of observation, not at least in the complicated interplay of the paws of the two rodents.HEIGHT 3.2 cm, LENGTH 3.8 cmCondition: Excellent condition with minor associated surface wear.Provenance: Hayashi Tadamasa (1853-1906), sold in his sale, Chevalier at the Hôtel Drouot, 16-21 February 1903, lot 1311. Then Charles A. Greenfield, sold in his second sale at Sotheby's New York, 18 September 1998, lot 61. With Scholten Japanese Art, New York, 2009. Sydney L. Moss, 2009. French private collection, acquired from the above.The only other example of a rat known thus far by the artist was sold by Max Rutherston Ltd., formerly in the collection of Rolf Schmoll, depicting a rat balled in a similar way to the present netsuke.Auction comparison:Compare a related wood netsuke of two rats, by Ikkan, at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 28 April 2023, Vienna, lot 85 (sold for EUR 18,200).

A VERY RARE TSUISHU AND LACQUER TWO-CASE INRO, MOST LIKELY COMMISSION BY A DUTCH SETTLERUnsignedJapan, c. 1800, Edo period (1615-1868)The two-case inro bearing a superb tsuishu (carved red lacquer) frame with alternating asanoha and manji designs, with a circular panel to either side, one featuring a view of a Dutch ship entering Nagasaki bay, decorated in gold and silver hiramaki and takamaki-e, with some nashiji. The panel on the verso bearing a nashiji ground and decorated in gold and colored takamaki-e with a zodiac (junishi) compass, the central roundel decorated with gold karakusa and the needle pointing at the rat (nezumi). Most likely this inro was commissioned by a Dutch settler born in the year of the rat.With a matching gold-lacquered ojime and wood and lacquer kagamibuta netsuke decorated with European enameling and depicting scenes with foreigners. The netsuke with the initials 'A.J.' to the top and the wood bowl lacquered with a blossoming and budding flower.HEIGHT 6.3 cm, LENGTH 7.3 cmDIAMETER (the netsuke) 3.7 cmCondition: Very good condition with only very minor wear.Provenance: Sotheby's, 17 December 1951, London. A noted private collection, acquired from the above, assembled by the previous owner's great-grandfather and thence by descent. With old collection labels to the top case.

YOSHISHIGE: A SMALL EBONY WOOD NETSUKE OF A TORTOISEBy Yoshishige, signed Yoshishige 吉重Japan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)A simple, finely carved, and tactile wood netsuke depicting a tortoise almost completely retracted within its carapace. The outer shell is decorated with neatly arranged hexagonal patterns and the underside shows the retracted limbs and head, covered in minutely etched scales. The cord attachment in the form of an eyelet, inset into the removable scale within the carapace. Signed to the base YOSHISHIGE– a rare artist whose work rarely appears.LENGTH 3.3 cmCondition: Good condition with minor wear, traces of use, minor ship to the edge of the himotoshi section and minuscule nibbling to edges.

MASAYOSHI: A RARE MINIATURE NAGOYA SCHOOL WOOD NETSUKE OF KANZAN AND JITTOKUBy Sato Masayoshi (1819-1865), signed Masayoshi 正義Japan, Nagoya, mid-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)A miniature wood netsuke, possibly intended for a child, depicting the two famous immortals Kanzan (Hanshan) and Jittoku (Shide), the latter holding a broom, each dressed in finely carved and voluminous robes with long draping sleeves, their expression radiating with wisdom and humor. The back with small himotoshi and the neatly incised signature MASAYOSHI – a rare and previously unrecorded subject by the Nagoya carver Sato Masayoshi (1819-1865).HEIGHT 2.5 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and few old microscopic nicks here and there.Provenance: Ex-collection Irene Segeler, Zurich. Irene Segeler specialized in collecting tiny children's netsuke, acquiring over 80 examples, which is quite remarkable as they are exceptionally rare. A few pieces from her collection are illustrated in Children's Netsuke (2001), The International Netsuke Society Journal (INSJ), vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 26-30.

MASAKAZU: A RARE NAGOYA SCHOOL KARAKURI (TRICK) WOOD NETSUKE OF SHOKI AND ONIBy Masakazu, signed Masakazu 正一Japan, Nagoya, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Superbly carved as a large rock with two oni cowering and seeking shelter within its crevices, their horns inlaid in stained bone, the rock opening to reveal two halves hinged into a central piece which is finely carved with the demon queller Shoki sitting next to his sword and throwing roasted beans to drive the oni away. Signed MASAKAZU to the interior of the rock. The central himotoshi ringed in bone underneath.HEIGHT 3.5 cm, LENGTH 7 cm (when opened)Condition: Excellent condition, minor typical wear.Provenance: Ex-collection Guy de Lasteyrie. De Lasteyrie is a member of the Lasteyrie du Saillant family and is considered among the leading French collectors of netsuke.The present netsuke was likely carved as a talisman for the Setsubun festival which is celebrated during the first day of spring and includes the rite of oni-yarai or mame-maki, where roasted beans are thrown at oni to rid the coming year of any demons and disease-bringing spirits.Auction comparison:Compare a related wood netsuke of Shoki and oni by Masakazu at Zacke, Fine Japanese Art, 27 May 2022, Vienna, lot 237 (sold for EUR 6,952).Also compare a related karakuri netsuke by Kagetoshi at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 25 September 2020, Vienna, lot 160 (sold for EUR 6,952).

TOYOKAZU: A SUPERB WOOD NETSUKE OF A SEATED MONKEYBy Shugasai Toyokazu, signed Toyokazu 豊一Japan, Sasayama, Tanba province, mid-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Published: Moss, Sydney L (2006) More Things in Heaven and Earth: Japanese Netsuke and Ojime, p. 106-107, no. 952.Very finely carved and warmly stained, depicting a seated monkey (saru) with its hands resting on its outstretched legs with its feet clinched. The simian's large eyes are inlaid in beautifully translucent pale and dark horn, and its fur coat is rendered with neatly stained and engraved lines. The natural himotoshi formed by the hollow between its touching feet. Signed within the typical oval reserve in neatly incised characters TOYOKAZU.LENGTH 3.3 cmCondition: Very good condition with only very minor wear.Shugasai Toyokazu is widely regarded as the most accomplished pupil of Naito Toyomasa (1773-1856). Toyokazu usually carved monkeys in combination with a peach or chestnut. The present example showing the monkey in a seated position can be considered rare and is more commonly associated with Naito Toyomasa.Auction comparison:Compare a closely related wood netsuke of a seated monkey holding a peach, signed Toyokazu, at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 22 April 2022, Vienna, lot 87 (sold for EUR 12,640). Compare a related wood netsuke of a group of three fighting monkeys, signed Toyomasa, at Bonhams, The Harriet Szechenyi Sale of Japanese Art, 8 November 2011, London, lot 155 (sold for 85,250 GBP).

A BOXWOOD NETSUKE OF WASHERWOMANBy Hakusen, signed Hakusen 白仙 Japan, Edo (Tokyo), c. 1800, Edo period (1615-1868)The woman slightly bent over a round tub as she beats her clothes clean with a pestle. The mortar naturalistically fashioned with a simulated carved crack held together with two bone staples, one of which is stained green. The base with a large himotoshi and a second aperture through the side. Signed underneath HAKUSEN – a rare early Edo school artist with only very few works recorded.HEIGHT 4.8 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear commensurate with age. A tiny, old, smoothed out chip to the edge of one foot.Provenance: H. Van Hoof, 23 July 1945. Collection of Robert and Isabelle de Strycker, acquired from the above and thence by descent in the same family. Robert de Strycker (1903-1968) was a French engineer who specialized in metallurgy. He was a Stanford graduate, a professor at the University of Leuven, a director of the Institute of Metallurgy at the Université Catholique de Louvain, and one of the most influential members of the faculty of applied sciences. After World War II, he made large contributions to France's post-war recovery. Robert and his wife Isabelle (1915-2010) first encountered Asian art at the British Museum during a stay in London in the 1930s. Enamored with the style and beauty, they both decided to study and collect Japanese and Chinese works of art. In 1938, they eventually began to build their collection, buying from Belgian, Parisian, and English dealers. They kept close contact with the famous English collector Sir Harry Garner (1891-1977) and noted Czech collector and expert Fritz Low-Beer (1906-1976).Museum comparison:A closely related boxwood netsuke of a woman washing clothes, by the Edo netsuke-shi Gyokurintei, is in the Bristol Museum, United Kingdom, accession no. N6199.

CHOKUSAI: A RARE WALRUS TUSK SEAL (INGYO) NETSUKE DEPICTING THE TWELVE ZODIAC ANIMALS (JUNISHI)By Miyagi Chokusai, signed Chokusai 直齋Japan, Tokyo, Meiji period (1868-1912)Exquisitely carved, the zodiac animals clamoring together with the large dragon twisting and coiling at its center. Vivid with palpable movement, each animal captured in dynamic movement, running or baring its teeth with a lively expression. The 'natural' cord attachment running through underneath the leg of the dog. The artist's seal CHOKUSAI to the back of the horse. The base of the ingyo netsuke bearing the seal cut characters 若君 Wakagimi [Young Lord]. The walrus tusk with beautiful, dense marbling.HEIGHT 5.8 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear, natural flaws, expected age cracks, and a few tiny lossesProvenance: Family collection of either Felix Tikotin (1893-1986) or his son-in-law Louis (Loek) Borensztajn (1935-2021), Netherlands.Felix Tikotin (1893-1986) was an architect, art collector, dealer, and founder of the first Museum of Japanese Art in the Middle East. He became one of the world's leading collectors of Japanese art, starting at the age of 18, and continued to collect and work as an art dealer in Berlin in the 1920s. In the 1930s Felix Tikotin fled from the Nazis and hid his collection in the Netherlands. After the war, he decided that his collection should be taken to Israel, where in 1959 and with the help of Abba Hushi, who was the mayor of Haifa, The Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art was established. The Museum's collection comprises more than 8,000 items of art and crafts.Auction comparisonCompare a related work by the artist of similarly dense composition at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 16 April 2021, Vienna, lot 233 (sold for EUR 4,880).This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.

A VERY RARE MARINE IVORY JINGASA (WAR HAT) WITH THE TWELVE ANIMALS OF THE ZODIAC (JUNISHI)UnsignedJapan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Published: Sagemonoya (2022) A Selection of Netsuke & Sagemono from the Collection of Georgina & Gabor Wilhelm, p. 87, no. 156.The furled helmet with a lipped rim depicting the twelve animals of the zodiac: monkey, horse, dog, snake, rabbit, tiger, ox, boar, rooster, sheep, dragon, and rat. The himotoshi cleverly incorporated to the interior where the cords would traditionally be fastened.LENGTH 4.7 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and traces of use.Fuld's Netsuke and Ojime Index records no other example of a jingasa as the subject.This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.

MINKOKU: A RARE MARINE IVORY NETSUKE OF AN OLD MAN WITH A FOXBy Shuyusai Minkoku (Minkoku III), signed Minkoku 民谷Japan, Edo (Tokyo), mid-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Having released the fox from his trap, the seated old man wearing an endearing straw hat looking forward with an expression of exhaustion. The finely carved fox placing its paw gently on the man's hand as if in show of gratitude, lifting and curling its tail. Two himotoshi to the base. The underside signed MINKOKU.HEIGHT 3.2 cmCondition: Good condition with minor wear, a tiny chip to one ear of the fox.This charming motif is very rare, and much more commonly the fox is being trapped by the hunter rather than being released. Foxes, often seen as trickster animals in Japanese folklore, were believed to possess shapeshifting abilities. But in ancient Japan, close proximity to foxes developed the earlier belief that these mystical creatures acted as family guardians.Literature comparison:Compare a related netsuke depicting a man trapping a fox, signed Mitsutsugu, illustrated in Schwarz, Karl M. (1992) Netsuke Subjects, p. 99, no. 261.This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.

A FINE AND RARE PALE WOOD MASK NETSUKE OF A HEIKE CRAB MAN, ATTRIBUTED TO KOKEISAI SANSHOAttributed to Kokeisai Sansho (1871-1936), unsignedJapan, Osaka, early 20th centuryPublished: Sagemonoya (2007) Netsuke at the Miami Kappa Convention: From Sea to Shore, pl. 60.Carved with grotesque, crab-like features, the mask with hollowed pupils on bulging eyes, a broad and prominent nose with pierced nostrils, and a distinctly shaped mouth displaying an upper row of teeth. The mask surmounted by horns shaped like pincers, the nose as well with crab pincers, the full cheeks stippled with crab-skin, the gaping mouth similarly textured. The reverse with a central himotoshi bar.HEIGHT 3.8 cmCondition: Small crack with a repair to the himotoshi bar, otherwise in very good condition with only very minor surface wear.Provenance: Robert Fleischel, Paris, 2007. European collection P. Jacquesson, acquired from the above.Literature comparison:Compare a closely related netsuke of a 'heike crab' mask illustrated in Bushell, Raymond (1985), Netsuke Masks, pl. 323. For further examples of wood mask netsukes attributed to and signed by Kokeisai Sansho, see Boris Filatov (Spring 2012) Kokeisai Sansho: Mystery of the Genius International Netsuke Society Journal, vol. 32, no. 1, p. 25.Auction comparison:Compare a related wood mask netsuke by Mitsuaki at Zacke, Asian Art Discoveries-Japanese Art, 8 September 2023, Vienna, lot 826 (sold for EUR 2,600).

A RARE ANTLER NETSUKE OF A PUPPY, ATTRIBUTED TO TSUNEMASAAttributed to Tsunemasa, unsignedJapan, Kyoto, early to mid-18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)A simple, yet intrinsically charming and pleasingly tactile antler netsuke, bearing an attractive caramel patina (compare also to no. 291) and depicting a young pup crouching and barking at the viewer. Large, asymmetrical himotoshi through the underside. The naturally hollow material plugged at the front and back.LENGTH 3.8 cmCondition: Excellent condition with minor wear and few natural 'flaws' to the material.Literature comparison:The only recorded netsuke with a dog signed by Tsunemasa (who seldomly signed his works) depicts a Dutch lady with a puppy illustrated in Harris, Victor (1987) The Hull Grundy Collection in the British Museum, p. 29, no. 47.

A RARE ANTLER NETSUKE OF A GRAZING HORSE, ATTRIBUTED TO TSUNEMASAAttributed to Tsunemasa, unsignedJapan, Kyoto, early to mid-18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)A simple, yet intrinsically charming and pleasingly tactile antler netsuke, bearing an attractive caramel patina and depicting a grazing horse, lowering its head with a twisting motion, the feet drawn together and tail kept close to the body for compactness. The material is brilliantly utilized, much of the spongiform and porous sections hidden away so that they are not visible when the netsuke is worn on the obi. Large and generously excavated himotoshi to the back.HEIGHT 4 cmCondition: Excellent condition with minor wear and few natural 'flaws' to the material.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related antler netsuke of a grazing horse, signed Tsunemasa, illustrated in Lazarnick, George (1981) Netsuke & Inro Artists, and How to Read Their Signatures (LNIA), Vol. 2, p. 1198.

OZAKI KOKUSAI: A RARE ANTLER KISERUZUTSU WITH COINSBy Ozaki Kokusai (1835-1892), sealed Koku 谷Japan, Shiba, Tokyo, c. 1860-1880The wari-zutsu pipe case carved with three old coins pierced through the center. The uppermost coin finely carved with the relief seal script characters Daquan wushi ['large coin, fifty'], the script of one coin of the Wang Man interregnum, and the second bears the characters Buquan ['spade coin'], an auspicious coin which was believed to grant women a son in childbirth if they wore it on their sash. The cord attachment is a playful rendition on an old Chinese coin carved in sunken relief within rounded-corner borders with a central aperture. The lowest square coin bears the artists signature KOKU. The unusually dark antler is of a deep red color with fine natural spongiform inclusions.LENGTH 20.1 cmCondition: Good condition with minor wear, natural flaws, and a chip to the upper rim.A wari-zutsu pipe case is slit at the sides, leaving two flexible leaves. Bamboo and wood are the usual materials, because of the need for flexibility, although occasionally antler is utilized. See Stratos, Milton (Spring 2016) Kiseruzutsu, the Other Sagemono. A Modest Appreciation, International Netsuke Society Journal, Vol. 36, No. 1, p. 19.Literature comparison:Compare two related antler otoshizutsu pipe cases with closely related antique coins, signed Kokusai, illustrated in in Moss, Sydney L. (2016) Kokusai The Genius: and Stag-antler Carving in Japan, vol. II, p. 352-353.

A FINE ANTLER KISERUZUTSU WITH RAIN DRAGON (AMARYU) AND BAKUUnsignedJapan, Tokyo, Asakusa district, second half of the 19th centuryThe muso-zutsu pipecase finely carved in sunken relief (shishiaibori) with a central, openwork lattice above a sinuous rain dragon gripping a flaming tama in its mouth, its furcated tail trailing behind. The cap decorated with a reishi medallion and the cord attachment in the form of a baku, its trunk functioning as the himotoshi.LENGTH 21.2 cmCondition: Good condition with minor wear, minor old fill to the porous area likely inherent to manufacturing, and natural 'flaws' to the material.While this piece is unsigned, it can be attributed to Ozaki Kokusai (1835-1892) or a close follower such as Hakusai or Hakumin (see literature comparisons).Baku are Japanese supernatural beings that are said to devour nightmares. According to legend, they were created by the spare pieces that were left over when the gods finished creating all other animals. They have a long history in Japanese folklore and art but are relatively rare as subjects, especially combined with rain dragons (amaryu).Literature comparison:Compare a related antler kiseruzutsu, carved with a similar dragon in sunken relief, signed Kokusai, illustrated in Moss, Sydney L. (2016) Kokusai The Genius: and Stag-antler Carving in Japan, vol. II, p. 370-371, no. 281. Compare a related antler kiseruzutsu, carved with a closely related baku head cord attachment, signed Kokusai, illustrated in Moss, Sydney L. (2016) Kokusai The Genius: and Stag-antler Carving in Japan, vol. II, p. 374-375, no.283. Compare a related antler musozutsu style kiseruzutsu, carved with a closely related baku head cord attachment, attributed to a contemporary of Kokusai or possibly by the artist himself, illustrated in Moss, Sydney L. (2016) Kokusai The Genius: and Stag-antler Carving in Japan, vol. II, p. 378-379, no.285. Compare a related antler kiseruzutsu, carved in a similar fashion with a sinuous dragon, signed Hakusai, illustrated in Moss, Sydney L. (2016) Kokusai The Genius: and Stag-antler Carving in Japan, vol. II, p. 170-171, no. 439.

A SUPERB AND RARE FOUR-CASE LACQUER INRO WITH BUGAKU ACCESSORIESUnsignedJapan, 17th-18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Of rectangular form and oval section, finely layered with two-toned nashiji on a roiro ground and takamaki-e with iridescent aogai (mother-of-pearl) and gold-leaf inlays depicting the various accessories needed to perform the Bugaku dance. A large fan lacquered to one side with dense decorations including a fierce oni mask surrounded by a sinuous dragon. The reverse with two torikabuto and a sho flute. The interior cases of nashiji with gold fundame rims. With a rock crystal ojime.HEIGHT 7.5 cm LENGTH 6.7 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear, expected losses to the kirigane flakes, and light rubbing to the edges. Presenting beautifully.Provenance: Glendining and Co. Auction, 17 June 1953. Private collection, acquired from the above, assembled by the previous owner's great-grandfather and thence by descent. The interior with an old collector's label, '678 g. 17/6/53. 1/-/-.'Bugaku is a Japanese traditional dance. The defining elements of this dance were introduced through Southeast Asia to the Chinese Tang court and its use in Japan dates back to the Heian period (794-1185) and is still performed today.

RITSUO: A MASTERFUL AND RARE INLAID TWO-CASE INRO DEPICTING THE YOKAI BOX FROM THE SHITAKIRI SUZUME, WITH EN SUITE NETSUKE AND OJIME, THE NETSUKE BY OHARA MITSUHIROBy Mochizuki Hanzan (1743-1790), signed Ritsuo 笠翁 and kakihanJapan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The remarkable two-case inro of box shape, acting as a trompe-l'œil optical illusion, with a 'hinged lid' opening to reveal several yokai creatures, inlaid in stained horn, antler, amber, ceramic, and various metals. A rokurokubi-esque snail creature with a single cycloptic eye is seen to the very left, poking its long neck through a hole in the box, next to a praying mantis with gilt eyes, and two anthropomorphic frog-creatures to the right. The ground is lacquered in an attractive reddish-brown, simulating a basketweave design, the front decorated with a gold sparrow crest, a metal-inlaid snail slithering through teared holes to either side of the inro and further with carved red lacquer flames emerging from within throughout the composition. A wasp and a butterfly are visible within the opening to the sides of the inro. With realistically modeled metal fittings posing as the hinges and closing mechanism of the box. Signed underneath in gold lacquer RITSUO with a red-lacquered kakihan, identifying the artist as Mochizuki Hanzan (Haritsu II, 1743-1790). The interior of dense nashiji with gold fundame rims.With an en suite bone ojime depicting a stylized sparrow and a beautifully matching, thick manju netsuke carved from walrus tusk and depicting a sparrow above bamboo, executed in sumi-stained kebori, signed MITSUHIRO (Ohara Mitsuhiro, 1810-1875) and with the artist's kakihan.HEIGHT 6.6 cm, LENGTH 7 cmDIAMETER (the netsuke) 4.5 cmCondition: Very good condition. Only minor wear and rubbing to lacquer, some typical minuscule losses along the edges, some light surface scratches to the underside.Mochizuki Hanzan, thought to have lived from 1743 to 1790, called himself Haritsu II and was a close follower of Ogawa Haritsu (1663-1747) though he was neither his son nor his pupil. The kakihan (artist's cursive monogram) on the present inro is a close match to a kakihan seen on an inro bearing his signature, the signature illustrated in Wrangham, E. A. (1995) The Index of Inro Artists, p. 67.The inro depicts the famous treasure box from the Tongue-Cut Sparrow (Shitakiri Suzume), which was opened by the story's culprit, Arababa, and contains a host of supernatural bakemono and yokai. The manju netsuke and ojime are matching as well, both depicting sparrows.

TENMIN: A RARE KAGAMIBUTA NETSUKE DEPICTING A SCHOLAR AT WORKBy Asama Tenmin, signed Tenmin 天民 with kakihanJapan, Tokyo, late 19th centuryThe solid shibuichi plate flush fitted into a lustrous roiro lacquer bowl and engraved in katakiribori and kebori with a scholar at his desk composing a letter, a hand brazier detailed with gold hirazogan next to his desk. The reverse decorated in gold and silver hiramaki-e with shadow silhouettes of two dancing figures, both with elaborate hairstyles and ornate hairpins. Central himotoshi and looped cord attachment on the inside, which is lacquered in black.LENGTH 3.7 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor surface wear to the shibuichi disc and minor wear to the lacquer. The looped cord attachment to the interior repaired. A small touch-up to the rim.Literature comparison:Tenmin rarely worked in a combination of metal and lacquer. An example of a related metal and guri lacquer netsuke of a fly inside a bowl by Tenmin is illustrated in Eskenazi (1997) Japanese Netsuke, Ojime and Inro from a private European collection, p. 139, no. 164.

A RARE COROZO NUT NETSUKE OF BLOOMING PEONYUnsignedJapan, probably Tokyo, second half of 19th centuryA pleasingly tactile and well-carved stained corozo nut netsuke depicting a blooming peony (botan). The individual petals are neatly incised and the furled stem issuing leaves functions as the 'natural' cord attachment.LENGTH 3.5 cmCondition: Excellent condition, minor wear.This material is rarely encountered in netsuke art as it is notoriously difficult to carve but was on occasion used by carvers of the Tokyo school. Corozo nut is also known as 'vegetable ivory' due to its similar appearance. The surface of the present netsuke is reminiscent of deeply stained, caramel-toned ivory from the 18th century.

A FINE UMIMATSU NETSUKE OF A LOTUS LEAF AND SPIDERUnsignedJapan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Finely carved as a folded lotus leaf with a spider delicately carved to the side. The veins of the leaf are naturalistically carved as are its uneven edges. The umimatsu having reddish inclusion and left partly uncarved underneath, drawing the eye to the natural form of this beautiful material. Large, generously excavated and asymmetrical himotoshi to the underside.LENGTH 5 cmCondition: Minor wear, expected age cracks, natural flaws, some losses to the area around the stem.Provenance: From a noted private collection in Geneva, Switzerland, assembled since the 1960s, and thence by descent. An old collector's label to base, 'Art Ancien Chine & Extr-Orient Geneva: 2631. RRA, XVIIIe' and a second label tied to the himotoshi, 'Rare Netsuke, umematsu (piu-d'eau) araiquee sur une feuille de lotus e duis, replice, et rouge per us verre.' An important part of this collection was on permanent loan and was exhibited over several decades at the Asia-Africa Museum in Geneva.Umimatsu (lit. 'sea pine'), commonly known as black coral, is a soft deep-water coral. Many patterns of growth are unique to black coral, growing in whips, trees, fans, or coils, and their size ranges from 10 to 300 cm. While it is commonly used in various forms of jewelry in Japanese art, it is also believed to have apotropaic power and is for this reason used in various medical treatments as well.

A RARE INLAID UMIMATSU NETSUKE OF A FROG ON LOTUSUnsignedJapan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Finely carved from umimatsu, the material bearing beautifuly reddish inclusions, depicting a furled lotus leaf with neatly incised veins and inlaid dew drops of coral, translucent horn and metal, a small frog seated on one side of the leaf. The underside with very large and generously excavated himotoshi.LENGTH 4.1 cmCondition: Good condition with typical crackling and natural flaws to the material. One small inlaid dew drop lost.Umimatsu (lit. 'sea pine'), commonly known as black coral, is a soft deep-water coral. Many patterns of growth are unique to black coral, growing in whips, trees, fans, or coils, and their size ranges from 10 to 300 cm. While it is commonly used in various forms of jewelry in Japanese art, it is also believed to have apotropaic power and is for this reason used in various medical treatments as well.

GESSAN: A FINE AND RARE EBONY WOOD NETSUKE OF EDAMAME BEAN PODSBy Gessan, signed Gessan 月山 with seal Gessan 月山Japan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Finely carved as three edamame pods borne on one stem, one of them split to reveal a single seed carved from pale wood. Each bean pod exhibits splendid curvatures and a high degree of naturalism, the surface covered in masterful ukibori veins. Natural himotoshi and signed GESSAN with seal Gessan.LENGTH 6.8 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear, a tiny nibble to the edge of the opening.Little is known about this carver and only few netsuke are recorded. From an inscription found on a fine netsuke of a chestnut one can deduce the Suo Province (which borders the Iwami province) as a likely workplace of Gessan. It is also believed that he was a pupil of Bazan of Nagoya.Literature comparison:A very similar example depicting three edamame pods is illustrated in Meinertzhagen, Frederick / Lazarnick, George (1986) MCI, Part A, p. 77, where F. Meinertzhagen notes “Very clever example of plant subject”.

SEIMIN: A RARE INLAID DOUBLE WALNUT (KURUMI) NETSUKEBy Seimin, signed Seimin 晴民Japan, Iwashiro, c. 1850, Edo period (1615-1868)A finely carved and attractively stained double-walnut with a design of The Queen Mother of the West, Seiobo, dressed in voluminous robes, wearing an ornate tiara, and holding a fan, a karako attendant handing her an immortality-granting peach. The carving is embellished with various stained inlays including antler, horn, mother-of-pearl, coral, and pewter. One of the himotoshi ringed in green-stained antler and signed to the back within a raised oval reserve SEIMIN.LENGTH 5 cmCondition: Good condition. Some typical losses to inlays with associated repairs. Some 'natural flaws' such as tiny pinholes and typical wear associated with kurumi netsuke.Provenance: Collection of Robert and Isabelle de Strycker, and thence by descent in the same family. Robert de Strycker (1903-1968) was a French engineer who specialized in metallurgy. He was a Stanford graduate, a professor at the University of Leuven, a director of the Institute of Metallurgy at the Université Catholique de Louvain, and one of the most influential members of the faculty of applied sciences. After World War II, he made large contributions to France's post-war recovery. Robert and his wife Isabelle (1915-2010) first encountered Asian art at the British Museum during a stay in London in the 1930s. Enamored with the style and beauty, they both decided to study and collect Japanese and Chinese works of art. In 1938, they eventually began to build their collection, buying from Belgian, Parisian, and English dealers. They kept close contact with the famous English collector Sir Harry Garner (1891-1977) and noted Czech collector and expert Fritz Low-Beer (1906-1976).Auction comparison:Compare a related Kurumi netsuke, attributed to Seimin, at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 29 October 2021, Vienna, lot 285 (sold for 1,896 EUR).

KOKUSUI: A FINE AND RARE KURUMI (WALNUT) HAKO NETSUKE DEPICTING RATS AND DAIKONBy Kokusui, signed Kokusui 谷水Japan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Very finely carved in shishiaibori (sunken relief) with a group of six rats, their eyes inlaid in dark horn and with neatly incised fur coats. The back carved with a daikon (radish) and incised with the signature KOKUSUI and kakihan. Central himotoshi through the back, the looped cord attachment to the interior. The two halves of the nut are fixed to each other with two pegs so that this netsuke also functions as a hako (box).LENGTH 4 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and natural 'flaws' typical for this material. One inlaid eye is replaced.Both the rat and the daikon are attributes of the lucky god Daikoku.Museum comparison: Compare a closely related netsuke depicting the same subject by Kokusui in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, accession no. A. 50 and illustrated in Hutt, Julia (2003) Japanese Netsuke, p. 40, no. 26.

A RARE AND LARGE BAMBOO NETSUKE OF FUKUROKUJUUnsignedJapan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Carved from a choice section of the hollow culm, the central node with a natural deformation appearing like burlwood, depicting the Lucky God swaying merrily, his body enveloped in voluminous robes, the first section of the node carved with his suggestively bulbous head covered in a veil, the face smiling warmly and the inlaid eyes gentle and inviting. The natural curvature of the smoothly polished material dictating the shape of the carving. Himotoshi to the back.HEIGHT 9 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and natural flaws.Provenance: The Gabor Wilhelm Collection, Paris. The back with an old collector's number, '246.'Bamboo is extremely prolific, ubiquitous, and cheap. Most bamboo netsuke are carved from chikkon, a term that includes both the true root and the underground portion of the culm or stem, which are solid. Other bamboo netsuke are carved from the hollow culm or from certain species that have solid or partially solid culms. Netsuke-shi often selected rare and abnormal bamboo growths for their efforts. Since the price of the material is inconsequential, the product stands solely and squarely on the craftsmanship and artistry with which it is endowed. See Bushell, Raymond Netsuke (1975) Familiar & Unfamiliar, p. 96.

A RARE EBONY WOOD NETSUKE OF AN INK CAKEUnsignedJapan, 18th-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Realistically modeled in the form of an ink stick with simulated cracks and fine craquelure. Inscribed to one side in raised seal script, the reverse with a relief design of scrolling clouds, one short side inscribed with 松雨 'Shou' ('rain in a pine forest'). Himotoshi to one side and with a silk cord secured with a coral ojime.HEIGHT 4.3 cmCondition: Excellent condition with minor wear.

A RARE METAL-INLAID UMIMATSU NETSUKE DEPICTING BUDDHA AMITABHA WITHIN A GROTTOUnsignedJapan, 19th centuryFinely carved from a thumb-size piece of black coral (umimatsu), a central section excavated to house the patinated copper figure of Buddha Amitabha, seated in dhyanasana atop a lotus pedestal with his hands resting in dhyana mudra. Two himotoshi to the back. The umimatsu has an attractive grain with fine reddish inclusions.HEIGHT 4.4 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and natural flaws.Umimatsu (lit. 'sea pine'), commonly known as black coral, is a soft deep-water coral. Many patterns of growth are unique to black coral, growing in whips, trees, fans, or coils, and their size ranges from 10 to 300 cm. While it is commonly used in various forms of jewelry in Japanese art, it is also believed to have apotropaic power and is for this reason used in various medical treatments as well.The tradition of carving the image of Buddha in stone into cliff walls and natural caves began in India, where they carved out their gods from the rocks. This practice was transferred to China and then Korea and became a common icon of Buddhist hermitages across the far east. These grottos were key sites for pilgrimage for the devote followers of the Buddha.

A RARE KEMARI-SHAPED LACQUER NETSUKEUnsignedJapan, 18th-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Of spherical kemari shape, bearing an intricately worked and unusual design of slightly recessed uzumaki spirals varying in size and worked in stunning guri lacquer, the spaces in between lacquered in roiro and embellished with gold scrolling hiramaki-e vines. One large himotoshi, the cord attachment fitted under a circular inset which is seamlessly integrated into the composition.HEIGHT 3.5 cmCondition: Excellent condition with minimal traces of use.

A RARE AND LARGE NEGORO LACQUER NETSUKE OF THE INARI FOXUnsignedJapan, 18th-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The protective deity with a fierce expression, clutching a hoshi no tama pearl between its paws, its head turned back with pricked ears and licking its large tail. The wood surface is covered in carefully polished, thick negoro lacquer. Natural himotoshi.HEIGHT 8.9 cmCondition: Very good condition with intentional wear and some tiny losses to lacquer.Auction comparison: Compare a near-identical negoro lacquer netsuke of an Inari fox with tama pearl at Sotheby's, The George and Verna Lazarnick Collection of Netsuke, 14 November 2000, London, lot 38.Compare a related negoro lacquer netsuke of a bat at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 27 March 2020, Vienna, lot 233 (sold for EUR 5,056).Negoro ware is characterized by relatively simple shapes and by a red lacquer surface rubbed to reveal an underlying layer of black. The name derives from that of a temple, Negoro-ji in present-day Wakayama Prefecture, where this technique was discovered by accident in the thirteenth century.

A RARE TSUISHU MANJU NETSUKE WITH SQUIRREL AND GRAPESUnsignedJapan, 18th-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The two-part manju decorated with beautiful tsuishu (carved red lacquer) depicting a squirrel munching on grapes among thick leafy vines, all enclosed by a rinzu band. Central himotoshi and looped cord attachment to the interior, which is lacquered in black.DIAMETER 4 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and traces of age.

A RARE SOMADA-STYLE MOTHER-OF-PEARL INLAID LACQUER MANJU NETSUKEUnsignedJapan, 18th-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The two-part manju decorated with geometric motifs inlaid in part with iridescent Somada-style aogai inlays separated by a thick hiramaki-e border. The interior of dense nashiji with silver rims and a looped metal kiku fitting with a cord attachment passing through a silver kiku himotoshi to the exterior.DIAMETER 4.2 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor typical losses to inlays.Provenance: Tamenne Gallery, Brussels, November 29, 1967. Collection of Robert and Isabelle de Strycker, acquired from the above, and thence by descent within the same family. An old collector's label, 'N 286 bis.' Robert de Strycker (1903-1968) was a French engineer who specialized in metallurgy. He was a Stanford graduate, a professor at the University of Leuven, a director of the Institute of Metallurgy at the Université Catholique de Louvain, and one of the most influential members of the faculty of applied sciences. After World War II, he made large contributions to France's post-war recovery. Robert and his wife Isabelle (1915-2010) first encountered Chinese art at the British Museum during a stay in London in the 1930s. Enamored with the style and beauty, they both decided to study and collect Chinese works of art. In 1938 they eventually began to build their collection, buying from Belgian, Parisian, and English dealers. They kept close contact with the famous English collector Sir Harry Garner (1891-1977) and noted Czech collector and expert Fritz Low-Beer (1906-1976).Lac Burgauté or Laque burgauté is a technique of decorating lacquer ware with inlaid designs by employing shaped pieces of the iridescent blue-green shell of the sea-ear (Haliotis). This shell inlay is sometimes engraved and occasionally combined with gold and silver. Workmanship is exquisite; therefore, laque burgauté is principally used to decorate small-scale objects like tiny boxes, miniature table screens, vases, and little silver-lined wine cups. Laque burgauté seems to have originated in China, with examples occurring as early as the Ming dynasty and was especially popular in the Qing dynasty. In Japan, it was widely used by craftsmen in the Tokugawa (Edo) period and is referred to as aogai and was often used by the Somada family.Auction comparison:Compare a related small Chinese lac burgauté box and cover, Kangxi period, at Zacke, Fine Chinese Art: Buddhism and Hinduism, 10 March 2023, Vienna, lot 283 (sold for EUR 10,400).

A RARE BUFFALO HORN NETSUKE OF AN EGGPLANT (NASUBI)UnsignedJapan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The buffalo horn superbly modeled as an eggplant (nasubi) with an elegantly trimmed stem, the flesh cleverly incorporating the variations in tone with the area around the stems naturally stippled with lighter patches. The netsuke wonderfully tactile and ideally shaped. The back with good, functional himotoshi.LENGTH 5.8 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear, some natural flaws to the material.Provenance: Collection of Robert and Isabelle de Strycker. An old collector's label, 'N 289 bis.' Robert de Strycker (1903-1968) was a French engineer who specialized in metallurgy. He was a Stanford graduate, a professor at the University of Leuven, a director of the Institute of Metallurgy at the Université Catholique de Louvain, and one of the most influential members of the faculty of applied sciences. After World War II, he made large contributions to France's post-war recovery. Robert and his wife Isabelle (1915-2010) first encountered Chinese art at the British Museum during a stay in London in the 1930s. Enamored with the style and beauty, they both decided to study and collect Chinese works of art. In 1938 they eventually began to build their collection, buying from Belgian, Parisian, and English dealers. They kept close contact with the famous English collector Sir Harry Garner (1891-1977) and noted Czech collector and expert Fritz Low-Beer (1906-1976).

A RARE LACQUER NETSUKE REFERENCING SOSHI DREAMING OF THE BUTTERFLYUnsigned Japan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Of foliate form, the stunning matte sabiji-nuri ground lacquered in rich gold hiramaki-e and nashiji with butterflies detailed with kirigane, the center reserve with the kanji character 'yume' 夢 (dream) raised in takamaki-e. Asymmetrical himotoshi to the back.LENGTH 3.3 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and rubbings to the nashiji. The kirigane with typical wear and some losses.Provenance: Galerie Eymery, Paris, February 1944. Collection of Robert and Isabelle de Strycker, acquired from the above, and thence by descent in the same family. Robert de Strycker (1903-1968) was a French engineer who specialized in metallurgy. He was a Stanford graduate, a professor at the University of Leuven, a director of the Institute of Metallurgy at the Université Catholique de Louvain, and one of the most influential members of the faculty of applied sciences. After World War II, he made large contributions to France's post-war recovery. Robert and his wife Isabelle (1915-2010) first encountered Asian art at the British Museum during a stay in London in the 1930s. Enamored with the style and beauty, they both decided to study and collect Japanese and Chinese works of art. In 1938, they eventually began to build their collection, buying from Belgian, Parisian, and English dealers. They kept close contact with the famous English collector Sir Harry Garner (1891-1977) and noted Czech collector and expert Fritz Low-Beer (1906-1976).The present netsuke references Soshi (Zhuang Zhou, commonly known as Zhuangzi), who was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BC during the Warring States period. He is credited with writing one of the foundational texts of Daoism, known by his name, the Zhuangzi. The most famous of all Zhuangzi stories – Zhuang Zhou Dreams of Being a Butterfly – appears at the end of the second chapter, On the Equality of Things: “Once, Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering about, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn't know that he was Zhuang Zhou. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuang Zhou. But he didn't know if he was Zhuang Zhou who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming that he was Zhuang Zhou. Between Zhuang Zhou and the butterfly there must be some distinction! This is called the Transformation of Things.” (Zhuangzi, chapter 2 [Watson translation])

A RARE LACQUER AND CERAMIC HAKO NETSUKE WITH A VIEW OF MOUNT FUJIUnsignedJapan, 19th centuryThe two-part hako (box) netsuke with an overhanging cover bearing a highly attractive dark-brown ground. The cover inlaid with ceramic in a fan-shaped reserve decorated with a view of Mount Fuji in underglaze blue and further flanked by shaped reserves depicting camellia and nandina, rendered in gold and silver takamaki-e and nashiji. The interior of nashiji. Central himotoshi to the back, the cord attachment within.LENGTH 3.5 cmCondition: Good condition with minor wear to the edges, traces of use, and some minuscule losses to lacquer.Provenance: Tamenne Gallery, Brussels, November 29, 1967. Collection of Robert and Isabelle de Strycker, acquired from the above, and thence by descent in the same family. An old collector's label, 'N, 220.' Robert de Strycker (1903-1968) was a French engineer who specialized in metallurgy. He was a Stanford graduate, a professor at the University of Leuven, a director of the Institute of Metallurgy at the Université Catholique de Louvain, and one of the most influential members of the faculty of applied sciences. After World War II, he made large contributions to France's post-war recovery. Robert and his wife Isabelle (1915-2010) first encountered Asian art at the British Museum during a stay in London in the 1930s. Enamored with the style and beauty, they both decided to study and collect Japanese and Chinese works of art. In 1938, they eventually began to build their collection, buying from Belgian, Parisian, and English dealers. They kept close contact with the famous English collector Sir Harry Garner (1891-1977) and noted Czech collector and expert Fritz Low-Beer (1906-1976).

A RARE HIRADO PORCELAIN NETSUKE OF A SHOJOUnsignedJapan, 19th centuryFinely modelled as a drunken Shojo, wearing a large sake saucer as a hat and holding a ladle. The netsuke covered in an attractive, pure-white glaze. The back with large, asymmetrical himotoshi.HEIGHT 5.9 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and firing irregularities.

TAKEYAMA MASAHIKO: A SUPERB AND RARE GOLD AND MIXED METAL NETSUKE OF A SNAIL ON A LOGBy Takeyama Masahiko, signed Masahiko 真彦 saku 作Japan, c. 1880, Meiji period (1868-1912)Superbly modeled and chiseled as a snail slithering across a textured 14K gold log, the mollusc with a shibuichi shell and extending its feelers, both the log and snail achieved with remarkable naturalism. Himotoshi through a cleverly placed opening of the log and through the underside. Signed in cursive script MASAHIKO saku [made by Masahiko].LENGTH 4.6 cmWEIGHT 42.6 gCondition: Very good condition with minor rubbing to the snail's body and light surface scratches to the underside.For more information on the artist Takeyama Masahiko, see Robert Haynes, The Index of Sword Fittings and Associated Artists, Ellwangen, Germany, Nihon Art Publishers, 2001, no. H03766. “Masahiko was a pupil of Wada Isshin (1814-1882) and may also have studied under Goto Ichijo (1791-1876). “Literature comparison:This appears to be the only recorded netsuke by the artist, who also made gold ojime. For some examples of his work see Lazarnick, George (1981) Netsuke & Inro Artists, and How to Read Their Signatures (LNIA), Vol. 1, p. 702.

A VERY RARE SOLID GOLD OJIME PORTRAYING DARUMAUnsigned Japan, late 19th century Bodhidharma, known as Daruma in Japan, is depicted here in a portrait-like manner, grasping his robe around himself, the characterful face sculpted with an extraordinary amount of detail. HEIGHT 2.1 cm WEIGHT 7.06 g Condition: Excellent condition, minor wear. Provenance: British private collection purchased from Christie's, London, 4 July 1984, lot 567. Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 29 October 2021, Vienna, lot 315 (sold for EUR 10,112). A noted private collector, acquired from the above.13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium – only for buyers within the EU.