18th
Century Coral Inlaid Netsuke
Inu + Keyaki Bony
Dog with Ball
Attributed to Tomotada (Shichiemon
Izumiya) ? H
1.75 in.(4.5cm), W 1.75 in.(4.5cm), D 0.75 in.(2cm) Condition: minor
age cracks, o.a. very good! A
magnificently realized inu with head turning back, holding a keyaki in its two
front paws, eyes inlaid in round umimatsu, layers of defined brisk hairlines over
a wavy rib cage, two himotoshi are formed between its body and hind legs. The
superb artistry and style are consistant with its 18th century Kyoto school origin.
Since Okatomo’s dogs are realistic, well-fed with an emphasis on naturalism, while
Tomotada rendered dogs are in similar naturalism at times, many of his stylized
inu are more bulky, authoritative characteristics that are comparable with the
bony look and feel of this rare unsigned work. As Ueda Reikichi stated in The
Netsuke Handbook: “His carvings were so alive and vivid that reportedly only a
glance was necessary to determine their authenticity.” Therefore serious netsuke
collectors are invited to take a closer look with the inu in hands and draw their
own conclusions. (Two
similar inu signed Tomotada are illustrated in “Netsuke, A Comprehensive Study
Based On The MT Hindson Collection” by Neil K Davey. Pg.70-71, fig.180, 182.)
Private Collection
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