A FINE TANBA SCHOOL WOOD NETSUKE OF A RECUMBENT BOAR

A FINE TANBA SCHOOL WOOD NETSUKE OF A RECUMBENT BOAR
Unsigned
Japan, Tanba province, late 18th to early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)
The baying animal depicted in a reclining posture, its legs held close to the body or tucked underneath for compactness, the hairwork finely incised and beautifully worn. The eyes are double inlays of pale and dark horn. Large, asymmetrical himotoshi underneath. The wood bearing a beautiful, unctuous, chocolate-brown patina.
LENGTH 4.7 cm
Condition: Very good condition with minor surface wear and traces of use, including some wear inside the himotoshi. One eye is replaced.
Literature comparison:
The present netsuke belongs to a group of expressive wood boar netsuke which are attributed to the early production of the Tanba school, whose founder was Naito Toyomasa (1773-1856). Compare to an unsigned wood netsuke of a boar illustrated in color in Lazarnick, George (1981) Netsuke & Inro Artists, and How to Read Their Signatures (LNIA), Vol. 1, p. 70.
Auction comparison:
Compare to a closely related wood netsuke by Tsunenori, Tanba province, at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 4 November 2022, Vienna, lot 41 (
sold for 9,750 EUR
).