Kurogaki Wood Netsuke of a Recumbent Goat by Tatekawa Takusai

Kurogaki Wood Netsuke of a Recumbent Goat by Tatekawa Takusai

Well carved with its head held back and legs tucked beneath or close to the body. The variegated wood suggests a similar colouring to the coat, which is vigorously worked with incisions.  The eye pupils are inlaid in polished dark horn

Signed

Length:5 cm

Fuld lists 27 netsuke by the carver, of which only 13 are animals, and none a goat, meaning that this may be a unique example by this rare artist. He came from a family of carvers of temple architectural sculpture, who migrated to carving festival floats, meaning that netsuke carving was a sideline of his activity. For good accounts of his life and work, see Alain Ducros, ‘Tatekawa Family of Wood Carvers’, in INSJ, 20/2, pp. 23-31, specifically pp. 29-30, as well as ‘Netsuke, Art, magie et médecine’ (Cuturi collection), pp. 296-299

MR4801