4 Boxwood Figural Netsuke

Height: 1 1/4 inches (tallest figure); 3/4 inch to 1 inch (smaller figures). A set of four carved figures in the form of netsuke, depicting various characters from Japanese folklore. The set includes a seated figure wearing an eboshi hat and clutching a large fish, a rounded figure leaning over a sack, a bearded elder with a staff, and a figure holding a large sack. The figures are rendered with deep patination and staining to simulate the appearance of organic materials. Detailed carving is evident in the facial expressions and the textured cross-hatching and scrollwork on the robes. The reverse of the figures features functional himotoshi (cord holes). The figure with the fish has two circular himotoshi on the back of the robe. Another figure shows a single small circular mark on the back of the head. No legible signatures, characters, or maker's marks are present on the underside or reverse of any figure.