OHARA MITSUSADA: A FINE IVORY NETSUKE OF A SNAIL ON BAMBOO

OHARA MITSUSADA: A FINE IVORY NETSUKE OF A SNAIL ON BAMBOO
By Ohara Mitsusada, signed Mitsusada 光定
Japan, Osaka, mid-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

A sublimely stained ivory netsuke, typical for the Osaka master who was one of Ohara Mitsuhiro's most accomplished students. Depicted is a snail slithering across a thick section of bamboo. The curvature and spiraling shell of the mollusc lend movement to the composition. Typically small himotoshi through the back, the other 'natural' through the opening of the bamboo section. Signed MITSUSADA.

LENGTH 5.1 cm

Condition: Excellent condition, two fine age cracks near the base.
Provenance: Sold at Sotheby's London, 20th December 1983, lot 47, since then in a private French collection.

Literature comparison:
Ohara Mitsuhiro produced several examples of this type, a very similar one being reproduced in Meinertzhagen, Frederick / Lazarnick, George (1986) MCI, Part A, p. 539 The present example is the only recorded variant by his student Ohara Mitsusada.
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