{"id":97,"date":"2003-01-26T21:21:12","date_gmt":"2003-01-26T20:21:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bosshard.net\/main\/article.php?story=20040425182112962"},"modified":"2009-03-07T03:26:49","modified_gmt":"2009-03-07T02:26:49","slug":"netsuke-in-my-collection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bosshard.net\/blog\/?p=97","title":{"rendered":"Netsuke in my Collection"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hereafter are some of my favorite netsuke presently in my collection. The majority of the netsuke shown on this page are by old masters; however, I am also including two contemporary pieces.<\/b> <\/p>\n

Please click on any of the frames below and a larger picture will open. When you want to go on to the next image, just close the large window by hitting the “Back” button and you will return to the main page. <\/b> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Japanese Zodiac (junishi) by Meigyokusai, ca. 1960 front view<\/td>\nJapanese Zodiac (junishi) by Meigyokusai, ca. 1960 rear view<\/td>\nIvory tigress with cub by Tomotada (before 1781)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

The ivory Japanese zodiac netsuke above was the first netsuke I purchased from Tsuruki in Shinmonzen Street in Kyoto in January 1967. It was initially ‘signed’ Masatsugu and I bought it as a late 19th century export model. Later I found out that it was carved by a living carver, Meigyokusai of Kyoto, in the early 1960s. I managed to meet the then already 70 year old netsuke shi in his new home in Shiga Prefecture. Mr. Hiraga (his real name) recognized his work but when asked why he used someone else’s signature, he replied: When Mr. Tsuruki orders 100 copies of this model from a insignificant carver like me, you are happy that he remembered you and you inscribe whatever name he asks you to place on the netsuke, after all you have got to feed your family. <\/p>\n

The other is a large rendition of a Tiger and cub by Soken Kisho carver Tomotada. It has a wonderful age patina and lies sweetly in the hand. A German collector once coined a fitting word for such netsuke: Handschmeichler. This could be translated literally as ‘hand-charmer’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Large Baku in boxwood, signed Hidemasa, 18th century,
ex George Lazarnick, Anne Hull-Grundy Collection<\/td>\n		Standing Ivory Baku, unsigned, 18th century<\/td>\nIvory Dog and pup on a round base, attributed to
Masanao of Kyoto, 18th century<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Base of the previous netsuke, clearly showing
a ‘cross, a sign of outlawed Christians<\/td>\n		Boar Tusk with a number of crabs,
unsigned, 19th century<\/td>\n		Ivory Crane looking back by Ohara Mitsuhiro,
early 19th century<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Dragon with inlaid eyes & teeth, boxwood,
signed Hidari Issan, 19th century<\/td>\n		Dragon, boxwood, unsigned, 18th century<\/td>\nDragon on Boar Tusk, 19th century, signed Kamman
with seal and dated<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Baying Kirin, ivory, signed Tomotada,
18th century<\/td>\n		Same Kirin from the other side<\/td>\nBaying Kirin, ivopry, unsigned, 18th century<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Sitting and snarling Tiger, inlaid eyes and fangs (ivory),
boxwood, signed Toyomasa, late 18th century <\/td>\n		Snarling Tiger, ivory, signed Otoman
19th century (Bushell Wing at LACMA)<\/td>\n		Large Shishi, ivory, unsgned, early 19th century<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Large Rat, clutching a daikon, ivory
signed Msanao, 18th century<\/td>\n		Same Rat from the other side<\/td>\nCurled Rat, boxwood, signed Masakatsu, 18th century<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Rat on inkstick, ukibori writing on base
kurogaki, signed Tomiharu, 18th century<\/td>\n		Semi on log, umimatsu (sea pine),
signed Kamman, 19th century<\/td>\n		Semi on tfolded aro leaf, kurogaki
signed Kamman and kakihan, 19th century<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Snail with young, translucent buffalo horn,
signed Kamman to, 19th century<\/td>\n		Snail on folded taro leaf, ivory,
signed Tomiharu, 18th century<\/td>\n		Centipede on Boar Tusk, 18th century
signed Tomiharu 61 years old, with 2 seals <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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2 Sumo wrestlers with body tattoo in ‘kawazu’ position,
ivory, signed Masaka, 18th century <\/td>\n		2 Sumo wrestlers in ‘kawazu’ position,
boxwood, signed Seihosai Meikei, living artist<\/td>\n		Dog holding a ‘kemari’ ball, ivory,
unsigned (in the style of Gechu), 18th century<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hereafter are some of my favorite netsuke presently in my collection. The majority of the netsuke shown on this page are by old masters; however, I am also including two contemporary pieces. Please click on any of the frames below … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-97","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-netsuke"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bosshard.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bosshard.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bosshard.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bosshard.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bosshard.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=97"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/bosshard.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":407,"href":"https:\/\/bosshard.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97\/revisions\/407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bosshard.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=97"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bosshard.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=97"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bosshard.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=97"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}