Page 178 - Fine Japanese Netsuke, Sagemono, Oikimono April 29, 2019 Galerie Zacke
P. 178

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            A RARE IVORY NETSUKE OF ELEPHANTS AND PUPPIES BY MASAMITSU  A CHARMING IVORY NETSUKE OF AN ELEPHANT                             A RARE IVORY NETSUKE OF BLIND MEN WITH AN ELEPHANT BY MASATOSHI  A WOOD NETSUKE OF A CAPARISONED
            "Y -ASAMITSU  IVORY NETSUKE                           ON A BASE                                                                 "Y -ASATOSHI  IVORY NETSUKE                           ELEPHANT ON A BASE
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            Japan, late 19  CENTURY  -EIJI PERIOD                 Unsigned, ivory netsuke                                                   Japan, 19  CENTURY  %DO PERIOD                        Unsigned, wood netsuke
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                                                                  Japan, 18  CENTURY  %DO PERIOD                                                                                                  Japan, 19  CENTURY  %DO PERIOD
            This specialist for dense compositions of animal groups offers a light-hearted                                                  An ivory netsuke of five minutely carved tiny blind men all over the elephant – one
            subject here – eight chubby puppies frolicking around and on top of an   A quite simple and small, yet charming, netsuke        is touching the ear, another by the tail, one is on top and two are on top of each   A wood netsuke depicting a caparisoned elephant
            elephant, two lying under it. A second, smaller elephant is lying beside the larger   depicting an elephant on a base. It has its back arched   other by its side, trying to climb up. The comparatively huge elephant is well-carved,   with a jovial expression standing on a base. The
            one. The details are very amusing, such as the dopey face of the puppy lying   with its trunk lowered on the ground and the tail   particularly the folds of his skin, and has a powerful expression.The ends of the   ornately decorated saddle is well-carved, as are the
            underneath the elephant, another puppy biting the pachyderm’s tail, or another   SWINGING TO ITS RIGHT  "EAUTIFUL BROWN STAINING IN SOME   saddle are inlaid with various precious stones. Signed underneath on the base, next   many skin folds and clawed feet. Singular central
            tucked underneath the trunk and biting its lower jaw. The ivory is stained   areas and singular himotoshi through the base.     to the central himotoshi, MASATOSHI.                  himotoshi through the base.
            bearing a very good color and all of the eyes are inlaid in dark horn. A very
            lively, dense composition on a base in the shape of a rock with himotoshi and   HEIGHT 3.1 CM                                   $EPICTED IS AN OLD PARABLE ON TRUTH AND SUBJECTIVE INTERPRETATION  ! GROUP OF BLIND   HEIGHT 3.6 CM
            signature MASAMITSU on the underside.                                                                                           men are touching and feeling an elephant for the first time and are trying to describe
                                                                  Condition: Good, original condition, expected age                         it. In the parable each man is feeling only one separate part of the elephant, such   Condition: Very good and original condition
            HEIGHT 3.5 CM, LENGTH 5.7 CM                          cracks                                                                    as the tusk, tail or side of the elephant. They then come together and discuss their   0ROVENANCE  "RITISH PRIVATE COLLECTION WITH TWO
                                                                  0ROVENANCE  "RITISH PRIVATE COLLECTION WITH TWO                           version but find out that every man has a completely different view of what the   VALUATIONS FROM 3OTHEBY S  BY .EIL +  $AVEY  DATED
            Condition: Good condition, with minor losses to the inlaid eyes, minor surface   VALUATIONS FROM 3OTHEBY S  BY .EIL +  $AVEY  DATED   elephant is, and they end up arguing and quarrelling, as they suspect dishonesty   1974 & 1984, inventory no. 106
            scratches to the base and a tiny chip to one of the tusks of the larger elephant   1974 & 1984, inventory no. 177               from the other men. It is an allusion to humans interpreting limited subjective
            0ROVENANCE  "RITISH PRIVATE COLLECTION WITH TWO VALUATIONS FROM 3OTHEBY S  BY .EIL                                              experiences as absolute truths, and sometimes even violently defending them.  Estimate EUR 800,-
            +  $AVEY  DATED              INVENTORY NO             Estimate EUR 600,-                                                                                                              Starting price EUR 400,-
                                                                  Starting price EUR 300,-                                                  HEIGHT 3.5 CM
            Estimate EUR 1.500,-
            Starting price EUR 750,-                                                                                                        Condition: Good condition, minor expected age cracks
                                                                                                                                            Provenance: French private collection
                                                                                                                                            ,ITERATURE  #OMPARE TO A SIMILAR NETSUKEIN THE "AUR COLLECTION  -ARIE 4HERESE
                                                                                                                                            Coullery and Martin S. Newstead, Geneve, 1977, page 374, C 1194. Compare to a
                                                                                                                                            similar netsuke in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, accession number
                                                                                                                                                        ALSO ON THE COVER OF THE PUBLICATION .ETSUKE  -ASTERPIECES FROM THE
                                                                                                                                            Metropolitan Museum of Art).
                                                                                                                                            !UCTION COMPARISON  ! NETSUKE WITH THE SAME MOTIF IN WOOD WAS SOLD AT "ONHAMS
                                                                                                                                            Fine Japanese Art, London, 16 May 2013, lot 123.
                                                                                                                                            Estimate EUR 1.000,-
                                                                                                                                            Starting price EUR 500,-




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