Project Description
Ivory netsuke of a monkey with gourd by Yamaguchi Okatomo (active 1780-1830)
Sitting and clutching the gourd in a suggestive manner. The eyes are small inlays of dark horn. The hairwork is meticulously incised and ink, though somewhat worn now, and there is a good overall colour and polish
Signed: Okatomo. Circa 1800
Height: 3.6 cm
Provenance:
Alain Ducros, Paris
Information:
Although monkeys are not rare in Okatomo’s œuvre, there are fewer than one would imagine with gourds. Compare with another from the Hepworth and Hindson collections in Davey’s book of the latter collection, p. 75, no.194
MR1467
