NETSUKE: GROUP OF FIVE ANIMALS.
Japan. Edo period. Probably early 19th ct.

Group of five animals: tiger; tortoise; snake; dragon; and Ho-Ho bird; naturalistically and harmoniously composed around a rock. Ebony; boldly carved with very finely engraved details. Signed underneath: Retsuchosai Matsushige koku (carved by.). An unknown artist; our piece illustrated without comment on the carver in MCI; p.498. Neil Davey; Hindson Catalogue p. 297 points out that there are 5 instead of 4 guradians of the four directions because it was once thought that tortoise and snake were the female and male versions of one and the same animal. W.5;8cm. Condition A.

Provenance:
-Gunther Collection; no. 52.
-F. Meinertzhagen Collection; illustrated with color sketch in his Card Index.
-Hindson Collection; no. 904.Art trade; Van Ham.