Project Description

Rare Wood Netsuke of a Wolf and a Snake by Mokuyusai

The small lean wolf sinking its teeth into the snake.  The visible eyes of both creatures are double inlays of horn, with dark pupils

Signed on the right flank

Height: 3.8 cm

Provenance: 

Raymond Bushell collection, illustrated in his sale at Sotheby’s, 20th June 1988, lot 45 (unsold) and sold in his fourth sale, Christie’s New York, 23rd April 1991, lot 184

Information: 

This is the second wolf I have had by this extraordinarily rare artist.  In all Fuld lists 3 netsuke by a Mokuyu (Bunbuku Chagama; dog and basket; tiger and monkey), 2 more by an artist he identifies as Mokuyu 2 (both wolves), and the present netsuke.  I feel sure that the last two artists are one and the same, and that it is quite likely that all three are the same. One of the Mokuyu wolves was in the George Cohen collection, illustrated in his In Search of Netsuke and Inro, no. 25. I have also had a turtle group by him

MR3382

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