An ivory netsuke of a toad with Tekkai Sennin's soul. Early 19th century - image-1

Lot 436 Dα

An ivory netsuke of a toad with Tekkai Sennin's soul. Early 19th century

Auction 1136 - overview Cologne
07.06.2019, 14:00 - Japanese Art (Armour, Swords, Netsuke, Inro, Sagemono)
Estimate: 800 € - 900 €
Result: 2.108 € (incl. premium)

An ivory netsuke of a toad with Tekkai Sennin's soul. Early 19th century

A huge toad exhaling Tekkai Sennin's soul while the small sennin figure attempts to climb up its right hind leg. Finely carved and engraved, the details stained black, the toad's eyes of light horn with black eye pupils. Inscribed Masatsugu in an oval reserve.
Numerous pieces bearing a similar signature are listed in the MCI (p. 481).
Length 4 cm

Numerous pieces bearing a similar signature are listed in the MCI (p. 481).

Provenance

University of Pennsylvania Museum, USA, acc. no. 23-26-34 (handwritten in black ink)
Collection Karl M. Schwarz (1926-2007), Vienna

Literature

Illustrated in: Karl M. Schwarz, Netsuke Subjects, Vienna 1992, p. 39, no. 50
Netsuke Kenkyukai Study Journal, vol. 12, no 4 (1985), p. 31