An unusual ivory netsuke of a rat. First half 19th century

An unusual ivory netsuke of a rat. First half 19th century

Sitting on its tail, the rat wears a jacket with a chrysanthemum pattern and places its left forepaw on the upright handle of Daikoku’s hammer. The eye pupils of black and brown horn. Signed Shige?masa.
Height 3.1 cm

Provenance

Purchased from Alexander Pollmer, Munich, August 1972
Coll. no. 906 (printed and handwritten)