KANMAN: A SUPERB AND LARGE UMIMATSU (SEAPINE) NETSUKE OF A CICADA ON AN OAK BRANCHBy Kanman, signed Iwami no kuni no ju Kanman to 石見国之住貫満刀 with kakihanJapan, Iwami Province, early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Published: Lazarnick, George (1981) Netsuke & Inro Artists, and How to Read Their Signatures, vol. 1, p. 583.Earle, Joe (2000) The Robert S. Huthart Collection of Iwami Netsuke, Vol. 2, p. 242, no. 210.Exquisitely carved as a cicada perched on an oak branch issuing twigs, leaves, and acorns, the insect’s wings finely rendered with raised veins, the branch well detailed with several layers and burls, the side and underside with asymmetrical himotoshi, the underside with a sunken shaped reserve incised with the signature and inscription Iwami no kuni no ju KANMAN to (carved by Kanman, a resident of Iwami Province) with a kakihan. The umimatsu with superb natural marbling.LENGTH 8.4 cmCondition: Excellent condition, minor wear. Provenance: The Robert S. Huthart Collection.Umimatsu (lit. seapine) is in fact a species of black coral with dense texture, concentric growth rings, and amber or reddish-colored inclusions in the otherwise brown-black material. True coral is a hard calcareous substance secreted by marine polyps for habitation; umimatsu, on the other hand, is a colony of keratinous antipatharian marine organisms. As a material, it was considered risky for carvers as it was prone to crack, crumble, or chip.Literature comparison: A related umimatsu netsuke of a cicada on a log is illustrated in Lazarnick, George (1981) Netsuke & Inro Artists, and How to Read Their Signatures, vol. 1, p. 582.Auction comparison: Compare a closely related umimatsu netsuke of a cicada on a log by Kanman, with a similar inscription, signature, and kakihan, 7.6 cm long, dated early 19th century, at Bonhams, The Robert S. Huthart Collection of Iwami Netsuke Part I, 15 May 2019, lot 92 (sold for 31,312 GBP).