Beschreibung:

Lot details Attributed to Risuke Garaku, unsigned Japan, Osaka, second half of 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) The small boy wearing a loose robe and holding the rope halter of a recumbent ox as he tries to clamber onto its back, the underside well carved with the boy’s and ox’s legs, two asymmetrical himotoshi, and a characteristic oban-shaped reserve. LENGTH 5.5 cm Condition: Wear, natural age cracks, a larger circumferential crack, the tail with a small loss. Overall good condition. Provenance: European collection. The oban-shaped reserve to one of the hind legs is an invention of Garaku. Raymond Bushell writes, “Garaku preserved a section of the spirally grooved bark in the shape of an oban (gold coin) on which he carved his signature – an innovation – […] The signed oban-shaped reserve in narwhal is distinctively the work of Garaku of the Soken Kisho. Unsigned narwhal netsuke with this characteristic oban-shaped reserve, and otherwise consistent, may be attributed to Garaku with the utmost confidence.” (Collector’s Netsuke, 1971, p. 44). Literature comparison: A near-identical narwhal tusk netsuke attributed to Garaku I or II and depicting a herdboy and ox, with the same unsigned oban-shaped reserve as on the present netsuke, is illustrated in Moss (2008) Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made On, p. 56-57, no. 20. Compare also a near-identical marine ivory netsuke by Garaku at Sotheby’s, The Carlo Monzino Collection of Netsuke, Inro and Lacquer, 21 June 1995, London, lot 167. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related ivory netsuke of a boy oxherd, also attributed to Risuke Garaku, 5.4 cm wide, at Bonhams, The Edward Wrangham Collection of Japanese Art Part IV on 6 November 2013, London, lot 60 (sold for 4,375 GBP). A closely related narwhal tusk netsuke of a baying Kirin attributed to Garaku, was sold at Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 16 April 2021, Vienna, lot 61 (sold for 9,480 EUR).