† SOZAN: A VERY FINE SO SCHOOL WOOD NETSUKE OF A PUPPETEERBy Sozan, signed Sozan 宗山Japan, Tokyo, late 19th to early 20th centurySuperbly carved as a puppeteer holding a large box with movable drawer to the side, placing a puppet female puppet holding a fan on top of the box, his robe incised with minutely carved patterns. The wood is masterfully finished and polished, and further embellished with various colored inlays. Large himotoshi to the back, the cord channel running through an opening of the man’s jacket. Signed underneath the box within a red-lacquered reserve SOZAN.HEIGHT 5.2 cmCondition: Excellent condition.Literature comparison:Compare to a closely related wood netsuke by Tokoku, depicting the same subject, illustrated in Lazarnick, George (1981) Netsuke & Inro Artists, and How to Read Their Signatures (LNIA), Vol. 2, p. 1103. Also compare to a related wood netsuke by Gyokuso illustrated in Bandini, Rosemary (2001) Expressions of Style, Netsuke as Art, Scholten Japanese Art, New York, no. 30.13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer’s premium – only for buyers within the EU.