International Netsuke Society Message Board

hare

gleeson — Thur, 11 Mar 2010 22:40:20 GMT

journal entry: hare, ivory, 19th c., chokusai

val shared a hare in a similar pose in the attributions thread but this one is fatter, more compact, a well-fed bunny i guess! this one also has a long line running lengthwise across the bottom, a nerve canal?

i'm guessing the eyes are amber but feel free to correct me. the most prolific chokusai in the fuld index was born in 1877 so this piece would be more a late 19th, early 20th c. piece if he was in fact the carver.

i've added a photo comparing the sig on this piece with other chokusai sigs in the image gallery.
to me, it compares favorably with some though not all. and there goes that red cartouche again!

i always appreciate comments/corrections. thanks.

Forum: Contemporary Netsuke

Looking for info

pmartin — Thur, 11 Mar 2010 22:30:37 GMT

Hi,

When cleaning my father house after he dead, I have this group of five netsuke, byed about 1950-1960 (France or Marroco).

Can anybody give me info on these ?

They are signed on the flat bottom, with the same red signs.

Can anyone identify the carver of the netsuke ?

They seems ivory (Tooth of cachalot ?).

Thanks you for your answers.

Forum: Modern Tourist Souvenir Netsuke

Raiden Kanzan!

giuseppepiva — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:27:39 GMT

I have had this nice netsuke for some time now. It is signed Tomomasa and it's one of the best works by this carver I have seen.

I have catalogued it in several ways and now I just describe it as "Raiden and Raitaro". Anyway the scene is not typical of Raiden at all and of course refers to Kanzan and Jittoku.

Has anybody seen anything like that? Mixing two subjects? I only recall some Ashinaga/Tenaga carved as other creatures...

Forum: Subjects & Legends

Netsuke Novice...First Purchase...help?

twostaff — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:26:42 GMT

Hi, I'm really a coin guy but I see other stuff at these auctions, and today i saw several very attractive little boxwood carvings i recognized as Netsuke. Only because I am also into swords and daggers and know a little something about Japanese swords and other ancient weapons, (more medieval but you can't just ignore the best made swords int the world,) where I learned about Netsuke and sagemonos and obis, etc.

So, I liked these very much, there were a couble others, one was the box with a snake cover and a rat on some vegetable that came out on a knot and another piece was turtles and frogs crawling out of a barrel (the ashtray piece?) there was also another turtle one.

I got the dragon ball-type and a snake. I wont tell you how much I paid until hopefully someone could tell me a little something about my leap into the deep end : )

Forum: Modern Tourist Souvenir Netsuke

So School Carvers

DSW90049 — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:53:35 GMT

It took me a while but I finally "get" the appeal of the So School. Bonhams has a Sosui netsuke in the NYC 3-25 Auction, Lot 2068:

http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r?sContinent=EUR&screen=lotdetailsNoFlash&iSaleItemNo=4534814&iSaleNo=18256&iSaleSectionNo=1

and the Kirchoff Auction last Fall was chock full of So School pieces.

Also the Go Collection Book, the So School Book, and a book I just bought on Morita Soko , have all whetted my appetite for more So School pieces, especially the Workman with Rice Bale , which, after reading Paul Moss' description and explanation , I now appreciate as both art and a social/political statement.

I would enjoy seeing more So School pieces and discussing what they are about and why their popularity seem to be on the upswing - or anything else about the So School that anybody would like to talk about, including stories and personal experiences with So School carvers who lived well into the later 20thC.

Thanks in advance for sharing . . .

Forum: Netsuke Artists

netsuke

dullaard — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:14:40 GMT

Hi, is there someone who can help me explain how to get pictures copied here? Thanks.

Forum: Modern Tourist Souvenir Netsuke

Intro and info please

mrblack — Thur, 04 Mar 2010 19:09:45 GMT

Hello I am New here so forgive me If I am in the wrong area,I have a few peices that I would like to get some info on.I attached some photos.Any Info would be appreciated.The tie clip signiture was translated by a worker at Osaka Castle for me ,sorry for the pic quality(thats if I can Figure out how to post them) I enjoy reading the post here.Keep up the good work.
Thank you
Mr.Black

Forum: Modern Tourist Souvenir Netsuke

Any help Please.

valverde — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:45:11 GMT

I am an antique appraiser here in Charleston SC and I specialize in Fine Art 18th and 19th century, One of my clients has a group of Netsuke that they inherited. Most seen to be the run of the mill variety type with the exception of one. Can anybody help me to id this signature or take a look at this playful akita puppies piece. It a real beauty. If you ever need Art looked at I will gladly help!

Forum: Netsuke Artists

not sure about these...

gleeson — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:30:09 GMT

are these 20th c. tourist pieces? from what i've read and seen regarding himotoshi, i suspect they may be but would appreciate more learned opinions. also, the meis are done similarly in red cartouche?

first is a samurai holding a fan in his right hand and his left on the hilt of his sword. his painted kimono is chipped below the right shoulder, signed tomomitsu.

the second is a smiling old lady with a gourd flask slung across her back and holding a sake cup. (i assume it's sake anyway because of the flask and the fact that she's smiling. ) signed yasutomo.

both appear to be ivory and painted/enameled. himotoshi treatment is very different as you can see in the photos. they are on the smallish side. even if they are so-called tourist pieces, i like them and think they look good together.

Forum: Contemporary Netsuke

Character Characteristics Control

voorde — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:52:05 GMT

Not entirely sure if this is the right place for my question, but:

How do you control the size of the text in a post? In my case it is a bit out of my control.

Forum: General Discussion

On the recognition of the use of power tools.. part 1

Clive — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:21:09 GMT

Quote:

Originally Posted by "AFNetsuke"

Jan 26, 2010 at 09:36 AM
Clive, I would encourage you to write an article on the recognition of use of power tools. I suspect it would be published in the INSJ but if not of broad enough appeal it could at least be posted here for interested parties.

OK.. lets see how this goes...
http://www.followingtheironbrush.org/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=1611&p=15207#p15207

(Ps.. I'm posting it there because that forum has a better picture faculty)

Forum: General Discussion

Lovecouple Judgement

voorde — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:08:23 GMT

This love-couple has a caricature-like style which I find appealing. It looks kind of worn to me. Is this because of age and does it have value or is it recently made imitation? Is there a signature on the foot? The hairs of the woman seem a bit too black in comparison with the other colors. Is she a geisha?

Forum: Modern Tourist Souvenir Netsuke

Book & Reference Guide Recommendations

cogito — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:41:52 GMT

Having just bought two items that I thought were netsuke, but were not, it's clear that an education is needed.

What netsuke and/or inro books or reference guides would experienced collectors recommend? And why?

Thanks,
Jeff

Forum: General Discussion

Are these netsuke? Old? New? I have no clue.

cogito — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:57:38 GMT

Admittedly ignorant of all things Asian, I was told that these tiny ivory erotic pieces may be netsuke, I thought it best to consult experts in the area...hence my appearance here. I would appreciate any information learned collectors and experts here might be able to provide.

Both pieces are striated and appear to be ivory. Each is about 1 1/2 inches in diameter; one is shaped like a walnut and the other an apple. When opened, as you can see, each has an erotic scene and coitus close-up on the opposite side. Each piece has two holes in it, one on each of the halves making up each piece.

I bought them at auction recently because of the novelty and detail of the tiny internal carving. The exterior carving of the walnut and apple is very naturalistic and really doesn't suggest what would be inside.

Thanks for any info. Jeff

Forum: Non-netsuke Carvings

Yoshitomo Thread

DSW90049 — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:55:17 GMT

As Vlad noted in the Kinko & the Carp discussion, there is no Yoshitomo Thread.

Well, there is one now!

In the Bonham's Auction coming up next month in NYC, there is one netsuke listed as 'By Yoshitomo:'

580 Madison Avenue, New York

2032^Y

AN IVORY NETSUKE By Yoshitomo, late 18th century

Estimate: $2,500-3,500

- page on which this netsuke of those two loveable knuckleheads: Kanzan & Jittoku, are depicted (says Bonhams) by the Master:

http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r

--Thoughts about this one, or any about other Yoshitomo netsuke?

--Photos of Yoshitomo netsuke that anybody would like to share here with us?
-----------------

Thanks.

Forum: Netsuke Artists