SHUZAN: A WOOD NETSUKE OF RATS ON A CHAUSU TEA MILL

SHUZAN: A WOOD NETSUKE OF RATS ON A CHAUSU TEA MILL

By Shuzan, signed Shuzan 周山
Japan, 19th century

Finely carved and stained to depict three curious rats inspecting a tea grinder. The three plump rodents carved naturalistically with finely incised fur and eyes inlaid in dark horn: The barrel-shaped stone carved to imitate granite, its base incised with vertical lines: Himotoshi through the stone and signed to the base of the handle SHUZAN.

LENGTH 4.7 cm

Condition: Good condition with minor surface wear and two cracks to the side of the tea mill and tail of the rat holding the handle.
Provenance: Collection of Fritz Niescher, and thence by descent in the same family. Fritz Niescher (1889-1974) was a Chemnitz entrepreneur who built an impressive collection comprised of Japanese works of art and modern art. His extensive collection included works by Ernst Barlach and Otto Dix. Pieces from his collection have been part of traveling exhibits since his death, and many are housed today in the Ernst Barlach Haus in Hamburg.