Lot details By Hoshino Hakusai, signed Hakusai 白斎 Japan, Tokyo, Asakusa District, late 19th century A compact and finely carved stag antler netsuke of a crouching toad, the warty skin realistically rendered, and the large almond shaped eyes inlaid in dark horn. The underside shows the beautifully porous surface of the antler. The carver has utilized this material, which may have been considered by some as discardable, with incredible skill. Himotoshi underneath, the signature within a raised rectangular reserve HAKUSAI (the character Sai 斎 is slightly obscured). LENGTH 4.3 cm Condition: Excellent condition with natural flaws to the material. Provenance: German private collection. Hoshino Hakusai is considered one of the ‘Asakusa-greats’ whose output has always been regarded as very limited in scale and whose carving is very rarely encountered. Literature comparison: For a stag antler netsuke of a Tennin carved from a similarly porous material and signed Haku (Hakusai), see Moss, Sydney L. (2016) Kokusai The Genius: and Stag-antler Carving in Japan, vol. III, pp. 144-145, no. 420.
Lot details By Hoshino Hakusai, signed Hakusai 白斎 Japan, Tokyo, Asakusa District, late 19th century A compact and finely carved stag antler netsuke of a crouching toad, the warty skin realistically rendered, and the large almond shaped eyes inlaid in dark horn. The underside shows the beautifully porous surface of the antler. The carver has utilized this material, which may have been considered by some as discardable, with incredible skill. Himotoshi underneath, the signature within a raised rectangular reserve HAKUSAI (the character Sai 斎 is slightly obscured). LENGTH 4.3 cm Condition: Excellent condition with natural flaws to the material. Provenance: German private collection. Hoshino Hakusai is considered one of the ‘Asakusa-greats’ whose output has always been regarded as very limited in scale and whose carving is very rarely encountered. Literature comparison: For a stag antler netsuke of a Tennin carved from a similarly porous material and signed Haku (Hakusai), see Moss, Sydney L. (2016) Kokusai The Genius: and Stag-antler Carving in Japan, vol. III, pp. 144-145, no. 420.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
