Page 12 - Bonhams May 16, 2019 London Japanese Art

A Selection of Netsuke

from The Jack Coutu Collection

(Lots 7-24)

Jack Coutu, ARE, ARCA (1924-2017) was a distinguished consummate ジャック・クーツは有能な版画家、彫刻家、彫板家、銅版画家、水彩画家
English printmaker, sculptor, engraver, etcher, watercolourist and そして教師であり、日本の根付に魅了され、1975年に根付、煙草入れや印
teacher who became fascinated with Japanese netsuke and began 籠の制作を始めました。次の18点のロットに見受けられるように、彼の好
producing netsuke, pipe-cases and inro in 1975. As can be seen in the みの媒体は猪牙と柘植でした。私生活では、彼はいくらか内気で、彼の参
following 18 lots, he favoured boar-tusk and boxwood as his preferred 照したカードの記述に反映されるように、謙虚で自己批判的な傾向にあり
media. In private, he was somewhat reserved and, as reflected in his ました。私たちは今回のセールでクーツの作品の小さなセレクションを提
notes on his reference cards, modest and self-deprecatory. We are 供できることを大変嬉しく思います。近日中にオンライン限定のセールで
very pleased to offer a small selection of his work in this sale; a further 更なるセレクションをご紹介させて頂きます。
selection will be offered in an online-only sale in the near future.

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A BOAR-TUSK NETSUKE Sold together with Jack Coutu’s reference card (no.329), on which he
By Jack Coutu (1924-2017), English, carved February 2000 states: ‘A somewhat overfilled piece and perhaps not as fine as some
Carved in relief, a pair of wood ducks floating in the water, one parent earlier work. However it has a certain vitality and I have done worse!
rushing towards the nest, their ducklings threatened by a weasel on It is a favourite subject of mine and I carved it as an ivory and ebony
the boxwood plug at the broad end; signed on a silver tablet JC. netsuke in 1976. No.54.’
12.2cm (4¾in) long. (2).
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£1,000 - 1,500 TWO STAG-ANTLER NETSUKE OF A MONKEY AND A FISH
JPY150,000 - 220,000 By Jack Coutu (1924-2017), English, the first carved June 1993,
US$1,300 - 2,000 the second carved August 1994
The first a monkey seated on its haunches, one arm extending out,
Sold together with Jack Coutu’s reference card (no.298), on which he with clenched fist for holding the inro cord, the eyes inlaid in horn,
states: ‘I put a large boxwood plug on this one intending to cut it off signed on an inlaid silver tablet JC; the second a coelacanth shown
later. I then decided to use it full scale and redesigned the idea to suit swimming, its mouth open and its tail thrashing in the water, one fin
it. It makes a larger netsuke, but more interesting. A very busy design! forming the himotoshi, the eyes inlaid in mother-of-pearl, signed on a
Nice colour. I rather like it at the moment.’ silver tablet JC. The monkey: 8cm (3 1/8in) long;
the fish: 8.4cm (3¼in) long. (4).
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A LARGE BOAR-TUSK NETSUKE £1,000 - 1,500
By Jack Coutu (1924-2017), English, carved November 1973 JPY150,000 - 220,000
Carved in low relief with an owl, a fleeing rat and the owl’s eyes inlaid US$1,300 - 2,000
in silver, the broad end plugged with ebony; inscribed on the back
Carved by Jack Coutu in the Autumn of 1973 at Farnham, Surrey, Published
England, signed on a silver tablet JC. Netsuke Kenkyukai Study Journal, vol.15, no.4, p.39, no.38.
12.3cm (4 5/8in) long. (2).
Sold together with Jack Coutu’s reference cards, the first (no.228)
£1,200 - 1,500 stating: ‘Like the last one, this is also an eccentric shape designed
JPY170,000 - 220,000 within the limitations of the material. I find I am more and more
US$1,600 - 2,000 attracted to the abstract quality of the form rather than merely allowing
the subject to dictate it. It does not always result in a compact netsuke
Sold together with Jack Coutu’s reference card (no.34), on which he but the result is more satisfactory to me! The cord can be passed
states: ‘My second tusk carving and my first attempt to use silver. The through both hands if necessary so it can hang at different angles.’
idea of a hunting owl came from a vaguely remembered design of a The second (no.241) stating: ‘This was a straightforward carving of the
ghost on a tsuba, where the head melted into the background. On the “ancient fish!” The deerhorn seemed a suitable material for the task
reverse side is engraved “Carved by Jack Coutu in the autumn of 1973 and is a good material to work if you can avoid the problems of the
at Farnham in Surrey, England”. Not up to Iwami style!’ A typically soft core. It has a good “tactile” quality and I was quite pleased with
modest remark! the result. I thought I was using pearls for the eyes, but when polished
the surface reveals M.O.P. [mother-of-pearl] instead! However they
9 work quite nicely even if they are rather prominent. It helps the rather
A BOAR-TUSK NETSUKE “old brutish character”.’
By Jack Coutu (1924-2017), English, carved February/March 2008
Carved in relief, a dragonfly emerging from its larval shell by a river, its
eyes inlaid in pale horn, the broad end plugged with ebony; signed on
a silver tablet JC. 12cm (4¾in) long. (2).
£1,000 - 1,500
JPY150,000 - 220,000
US$1,300 - 2,000
For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
10 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.