A wood netsuke of a carp ascending a waterfall


By Masanao, Yamada, Ise province, Edo period (1615-1868), 19th centuryLeaping out of the water with swirling waves around its head and tail, continuing on the reverse with spray drops carved in relief, the eyes of ivory with inlaid dark pupils; signed Masanao. 4.8cm (1 7/8in) high.
|ProvenanceE. G. Sahlin collection.Marcel Dawson collection.PublishedFrederick Meinertzhagen, MCI, The Meinertzhagen Card Index on Netsuke in the Archives of the British Museum, edited by George Lazarnick, Alan R. Liss, Inc., New York, 1986, p.459. Eskenazi, Ltd., Japanese Netsuke, Ojime and Inro from the Dawson Collection, London, 1997, p.45, no.75.An unsigned example is illustrated in Neil K. Davey, Netsuke, A Comprehensive Study Based on the M. T. Hindson Collection, Sotheby Parke Bernet Publications, Ltd., London, 1974, p.230, no.710.