The Trudy and John Neville Cohen Collection

JAPANESE NETSUKE

With the full descriptions

To Find the Original Large Photographs
 Note the identity (letter and number) found in the description

To The Netsuke Zodiac Collection

N1 - N24

Two Courtiers

NL2 / L2

Ivory and metal Kagamibuta

Netsuke: Kagamibuta, of ivory and metal. The plain ivory case enclosing a metal plate, with relief decoration of two courtiers playing musical instruments on a balcony. 

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Shumin

A Seated Child

NL3 / L3

Seated child holding a tub netsuke

Netsuke: Ivory, wood and coral netsuke of a seated child holding a tub with a plant.   
Japan, 19th century
Signed: Tomochika, Edo
Published: Item 346 (netsuke) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Warrior Netsuke

NL6 / L6

Ivory netsuke of a fallen warrior possibly recalling happier times.

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Gyokusen, Edo
Provenance: Geneen
Published: Item 319 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Boy holding a Box

NL7 / L7

Lacquer netsuke of a boy holding a box

Netsuke: A quaint lacquer netsuke of a boy holding a box.  
Japan, late 19th century
Signed: Unsigned
Published: Front Cover and as Item 354 (netsuke) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Ivory Netsuke of Two Musicians.

NL8 / L8

Ivory netsuke of two musicians.

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Ryomin, Edo
Provenance: George A. Cohen
Published: Item 307 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Ryomin was a member of the Ono family from Edo, who made katabori netsuke and manju in the middle to latter part of the nineteenth century.

Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove

NL9 / L9

Ivory netsuke of the seven sages of the bamboo grove.

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Ryuei with kakihan
Provenance: Michael Dean

Ryuei worked mainly in ivory, in Edo during the middle of the 19th century, producing small figural netsuke.

Gold Figures Dancing in the Rain

NL10 / L10

Manju: Ivory manju with applied gold figures dancing in the rain.

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Unsigned
Provenance: Constantine.

Boy on an Ox

NL11 / L11

Ivory openwork manju carved in Ryusa style with a boy playing the flute whilst sitting on an ox.  The reverse similarly carved with Chinnan and a dragon.

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Unsigned
Provenance: George A. Cohen

Zodiac sign / Bullock / Dragon

Monkey Trainer

NL12 / L12

Ivory netsuke in the form of sleeping monkey trainer, contentedly dreaming, as his pet warily steals from his food basket.

Japan, 18th century
Signed: Unsigned
Provenance: Glendining
Published: Item 94 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Zodiac sign / Monkey

Manju Decorated With Insects

A rare stag-antler manju decorated with insects.

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Koku (Ozaki Kokusai), Asakusa
Provenance: D. Franses
Published: Item 291 (netsuke) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Ozaki Kokusai was the founder of a school in Asakusa, a district of Edo, although he also worked in Chiba. He is best known for his fine works in stag-antler.

Chinnan With His Dragon

NL14 / L14

Marine ivory manju carved with Chinnan with his dragon coming out of his bowl.

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Hakugyoku, Edo
Provenance: Sotheby's

Hakugyoku, an artist whose work is rarely seen, came from Edo and worked in the middle part of the 19th century

Zodiac sign / Dragon

Blossom Tree in the Rain

NL15 / L15

Netsuke: Kagamibuta, the gold plate engraved with a blossoming tree in the rain.   
Japan, 19th century 
Signed: Ryumin
Provenance: Christie's
Published: Item 349 (netsuke) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Egret and Flowers

NL16 / L16

Ivory Ryusa style manju, carved and pierced with an egret and flowers.

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Unsigned
Provenance: Sotheby's
Published: Item 349 (netsuke) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Tree Peony

NL17 / L17

Netsuke: A fine wood netsuke of a tree peony 
Japan, 19th century
Signed: Somin, Ichirin botan, shinsha, Kiyo. (translation: Kiyo copied faithfully a single stem peony by Somin).
Published: Item 293 (netsuke) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Frog on a Large Mushroom

NL18 / L18

Stag-antler netsuke of a frog on a large mushroom

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Ren (Ishikawa Rensai), Asakusa
Provenance: George A. Cohen

The mushroom is intentionally worm eaten beneath, the rotten holes applied with small metal ants in the manner of Jikan Ganbun.

Ishikawa Rensai worked, like Kokusai (N37) in Asakusa, making netsuke in a similar style, often using stag-antler.

Bird and Flowers

NL19 / L19

Netsuke: Kagamibuta, the gold lacquer bowl bearing a metal plate, inlaid with birds and flowers.
Japan, 19th century
Signed: Unsigned 
Published: Item 313 (Kagamibuto) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Rat on a Large Peach

NL20 / L20

Stag antler netsuke of a rat on a large peach with foliage

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Ren (Ishikawa Rensai), Asakusa
Provenance: W.W.Winkworth collection
Published: Item 72 (netsuke) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.
Published: M.T.Hindson collection, illustrated, Neil K Davey, Netsuke, p.180, no.535

Ishikawa Rensai worked, like Kokusai (NL13) in Asakusa, making netsuke in a similar style, often using stag-antler.

Zodiac sign / Rat

Narihira and His Retainers

NL21 / L21

Ivory manju, inlaid in gold with Narihira and his retainers viewing Mt. Fuji

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Minkoku, on a gold tablet
Provenance: Sotheby
Published: Item 330 (Manju) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Eagle Clawing a Monkey

NL22 / L22

Ivory of an eagle clawing a monkey who, one discovers, is holding the eagle's missing eye.

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Masatami
Provenance: Edinburgh
Published: Item 69 (netsuke) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Zodiac sign / Monkey

Ho-Ho Bird Among Kiri Flowers

NL23 / L23

An ivory style Ryusa manju carved and pierced with a Ho-ho bird among kiri flowers and leaves.

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Unsigned
Provenance: T. & I. House
Published: Item 58 (netsuke) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Ivory Seated Tiger

NL24 / L24

An ivory seated tiger

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Mitsushige, Osaka
Published: Item 69 (netsuke) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.
Provenance: J. Vic.

Mitsushige is an artist whose work is rarely seen. From the style, he evidently worked in Osaka in the nineteenth century and his work, as here bears affinities with that of Anrakusai.

Zodiac sign / Tiger

Mandarin Duck

NL25 / L25

Lacquer netsuke of a Mandarin duck

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Unsigned
Provenance: George A Cohen
Published: Item 352 (inro) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Two Plum Blossoms

NL26 / L26

Lacquer netsuke of two plum blossoms.

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Unsigned
Provenance: George A Cohen
Published: Item 280 (inro) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Shishi With a Ball

Ivory netsuke of a shishi with a ball on a stand

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Mitsushige, Osaka
Provenance: G. Moss
Published: Item 327 (netsuke) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Mitsushige is an artist whose work is rarely seen. From the style, he evidently worked in Osaka in the nineteenth century and his work, as here bears affinities with that of Anrakusai.

Hare Scratching its Cheek.

NL28 / L28

An ivory hare with beautiful inlaid eyes scratching its cheek.

Japan, 18th century
Signed: Unsigned, Kyoto
Provenance: George A Cohen
Published: Item 106 (netsuke) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Zodiac sign / Hare

Cape Gooseberry

NL29 / L29

Ivory in the form of a hozuki (cape gooseberry) bursting open to reveal the fruit which is coral.

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Ren (Ishikawa Rensai), Asakusa (signed in raised seal form)
Provenance: G. Moss
Published: Item 70 (netsuke) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Lady With a Dog

N54 / L30

Ivory netsuke of a lady with a dog

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Rantei, Kyoto
Provenance: G. Lawrence
Published: Item 120 (netsuke) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

There were two artists named Rantei, both from Kyoto and the present example is probably by the second of the two, working during the first half of the 19th century.

Zodiac sign / Dog

Tennin Flying on a Swan

NL31 / L31

Ivory in the form of a tennin flying on a swan.

Japan, 19th century
Signed: Homin with kakihan, Edo
Provenance: L. Josephs
Published: Item 281 (netsuke) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Homin worked in Edo during the middle part of the 19th century, generally producing small figural netsuke.

A Recumbent Ox

NL32 / L32

Ivory netsuke of a recumbent ox

Japan, 18th century
Signed: Okakoto, Kyoto
Provenance: George A Cohen
Published: Item 47 (inro) 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

Okakoto worked in Kyoto at the end of the eighteenth century, as a follower of Okatomo and as a contemporary of Okatori.

Zodiac sign / Bullock

Okimono of The Zodiac Animals

Toshiaki Ivory Okimono

M1

An ivory Okimono carving of a group of the twelve animals of the Japanese zodiac (junishi).

Japanese, Meiji period (1868-1912)
Signed: Toshiaki.
Provenance: L. Smith.
Published: Item 170 'In Search of Netsuke and Inro' by George A. Cohen.

To The Netsuke Zodiac Collection

N1 - N24