† A RARE TOKYO SCHOOL COROZO NUT AND STAG ANTLER NETSUKE OF A FROG INSIDE A CHRYSANTHEMUMUnsignedJapan, Edo (Tokyo), mid to late 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Deeply stained to resemble wood, the chrysanthemum finely carved with neatly incised individual petals, the hollowed section in the center inlaid with a green-stained frog carved from stag antler. The underside shows the curved stem which forms the cord attachment.The carving can be attributed to circle of hands around Jugyoku, Ryukei, Gyokko, and Gyokkei who excelled in carving netsuke from exotic materials and often used green-stained antler to embellish their carvings.LENGTH 4.1 cmCondition: Excellent condition with natural flaws to the material.Provenance: A noted private collection, USA.Auction comparison:Compare to a wood netsuke with similar green-stained inlay, by Jugyoku, at Bonhams, Fine Netsuke from a French Private Collection, 4 November 2020, London, lot 149 (sold for 4,812 GBP). Also compare to a corozo nut netsuke by Gyokkei, with a green-stained antler signature plaque, erroneously described as wood, at Gros-Delettrez, Art D’ Asie, 7 December 2021, Paris, lot 20 (sold for 3,000 EUR).13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer’s premium – only for buyers within the EU.