An ebony nestuke by Masatoshi

Contemporary
Height: 3 3/8 in. (8.53 cm.)

A wood netsuke carved in the manner of the tall figures from the Edo period, depicting a bearded old man standing, his robe uncovering his shoulders, holding in both hands a large snake wrapped around and resting its head on his long beard, the himotoshi located on the back of the figure and composed of a large and smaller hole, signed "Jikishiin Masatoshi" on the soles of the shoes.

Masatoshi is known to have signed his masterpieces with different names, but it is not until 1961 that he received the Kaimyo (Buddhist name) Jikishiin Jiku Shintei Koji. Since, Masatoshi often signed combining his Kaimyo Jikishiin and Go Masatoshi. Jikishiin means "to aim at the moon without illusions." For further reading, see "The Art of Netsuke Carving" by Masatoshi as told to Raymond Bushell (reprint 1992), p. 22-24.

Provenance: Raymond and Frances Bushell

Ref. 1015887

Price on Request