AN IVORY NETSUKE OF SEVEN WHITEBAIT BY RYOKOSAI JUGYOKU
Ivory netsukeJapan, Edomid-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The netsuke artist, whose full name was Jugyoku Ryokosai, lived in Tokyo. The group of whitebait, or shira-uo, is a motif that Jugyoku possibly first saw at the fish market and one he used often and always in the same manner. The seven long, slender fishes have eyes inlaid with mother-of-pearl and black horn and form a very densely composed, lively group. The cord can only run through natural openings, signed (Ryokosai) JUGYOKU on the underside. Meinertzhagen pictured a very similar piece in his Card Index (MCI), as did Lazarnick and there was also a similar piece in one of our early netsuke exhibitions. The artist has reproduced this depiction many times, this being one of the finest he has carved.LENGTH 4.7 CMCondition: Excellent conditionProvenance: German private collectionAuction comparison: A near identical example, though somewhat rougher, was sold at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, London, 9 November 2017, lot 33.