† TOYOMASA: A SUPERB WOOD NETSUKE OF A TORTOISEBy Naito Toyomasa (1773-1857), signed Toyomasa 豊昌Japan, Sasayama, Tanba Province, early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)A beautifully compact and finely stained wood netsuke of a tortoise retracted almost entirely within its shell. The carving is treated with remarkable naturalism, the individual domed panes of the creature’s carapace, as well as other subtle peculiarities, are executed with extreme precision. The head, with large inlaid eyes of dark horn, peeks out ever so slightly. The underside shows the well-carved limbs which are treated with fine stippling, and the irregularly shaped underside of the carapace. Two himotoshi underneath and signed TOYOMASA – likely an early work by this celebrated artist.LENGTH 4.5 cmCondition: Excellent condition, minor expected wear. Beautiful, deep patina. Provenance: A noted private collection, USA.Literature comparison:Compare to a closely related wood netsuke of a tortoise, by Toyomasa, illustrated in Chappell, Sharon / Welch, Matthew (1999) Netsuke: The Japanese Art of Miniature Carving, p. 98, no. 140.Auction comparison:Compare to a wood netsuke of a tortoise, executed in a different style, by Toyomasa, at Bonhams, The Harriet Szechenyi Sale of Japanese Art, 8 November 2011, London, lot 222 (sold for 6,875 GBP).13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer’s premium – only for buyers within the EU.