Page 66 - Fine Japanese Art September 25, 2020 Galerie Zacke Netsuke and Sagemono

119 | SUZUKI MASAKATSU: A MASTERFUL WOOD
NETSUKE OF A BITCh WITh TWO pUpS
By Suzuki Masakatsu (active 1840-1899), signed Masakatsu 正勝
and kakihan
Japan, Ise-yamada, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

published: Malcolm Fairley Japanese Works of Art (2008) Netsuke
from a Private European Collection, Part II, no. 26.

A masterful and precisely carved study of a reclining bitch with
two pups, one of the pups suckling at the teats of its mother, the
mother protectively placing a paw on its head and grooming the
young pup in return. Another pup with piebald markings climbs
up on the mother’s back, seeking attention. The pupils of all three
are minutely inlaid in dark horn. The wood netsuke is clearly a
symbol of motherly compassion. The fur coats are rendered with
miniscule incisions, smoothly polished. The spine of the mother is
expressed, and the rib cage is beautifully carved on the underside,
which shows the many crisply carved legs and paws, one of the legs
forming the natural himotoshi. Signed within a polished reserve
MASAKATSU and kakihan.
LENGTH 3.8 cm
Condition: Excellent condition.
Provenance: British collection, acquired from Malcolm Fairley.
Literature comparison:
An almost identical netsuke (the only noticeable difference is that
the mother licks the pup in the present netsuke) is featured on
the cover of Eskenazi (1973) Japanese Netsuke formerly in the
Collection of Dr robert L Greene (see image comparison) and on p.
29, no. 64.

AUCTION COMpARISON
A related wood netsuke by Suzuki
Masakatsu depicting a horse was
sold by Christie’s, An important
European Collection of Netsuke,
14 November 2001, London, lot 8
(sold for 13.152 GBp).

Estimate EUR 15.000,-
Starting price EUr 7.500,-

compare to an almost identical netsuke featured on the
cover of eskenazi (1973) Japanese Netsuke formerly in the
collection of Dr robert l Greene.

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