Japan - Meiji Era (1868-1912) Wood Netsuke katabori...

Remarkable Japanese wooden netsuke depicting a monkey caught in the powerful talons of an eagle, signed Gyokuseki 玉石. The composition is particularly expressive: the monkey, crouched and seemingly imprisoned at the center of the sculpture, opens its mouth in a striking grimace while the eagle's large talons coil around it and almost entirely shape the netsuke. The eyes and teeth are highlighted with inlays, giving the face a remarkable presence. The work is entirely conceived in the round, with special attention paid to the monkey's fur, the powerful volumes of the talon and the overall balance of the piece. The himotoshi are integrated into the composition. The Gyokuseki 玉石 signature is incised on the talon. Old documentation places the work at the beginning of the 20th century. The stylistic and documentary study allows a more precise attribution to the end of the Meiji era, around 1900-1912. The piece benefits especially from an outstanding provenance: it belonged to the private collection of Armand Basi (1924-2009), an important enthusiast of Japanese art and netsuke collector. It is accompanied by a copy of his collection card no. 740, on which the subject, the Gyokuseki signature, and a dating to the early 20th century are already listed. A netsuke of character, both spectacular in its iconography and highly expressive in its treatment, reinforced by an ancient, well-documented provenance. video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/l4zaph98al832lkalt9ms/AHblZJhWuIbhV9fOnb7gn9k?rlkey=nxqn5gx1r8ur7sel2h5d4mcu9&dl=0

View all items fromCatawikiorAncient Art