An ivory figure of Ashinaga and Tenaga, depicting the former experiencing what appear to be the unwelcome advances of an octopus. The creature, having wrapped itself entirely around one leg, begins to ascend the other, which Ashinaga instinctively pulls away, seemingly the only defence available to him.
Enter Tenaga, in an attempt to save the day. Judging by his expression, however, the sensation of the octopus's skin is causing considerable repulsion, prompting a wonderfully telling 'side-eye' from Ashinaga. If a look could speak, one suspects it might simply say, 'Get on with it!'
This finely narrated example of the popular subject is characteristic of the group of carvers to whom we shall later suggest an attribution. Its humour, expressive interaction and carefully observed secondary details provide compelling evidence of a shared artistic vocabulary.
Height: 9 cm.
Attributed to the circle of Ogasawara Issai.
Provenance:
Sotheby's. 20th June 2002, Lot 466.
For a study of Issai and his studio, please follow the link.
Ogasawara Issai: Attribution and the Question of Rarity
When an artist who enjoyed considerable renown in Japan during his lifetime subsequently falls into relative obscurity for a century or more within Western appreciation, only to experience a resurgence of interest through modern research, a corresponding wave of attributions is perhaps inevitable.
In the case of Ogasawara Issai, it is worth considering the numbers.
Having spent approximately twenty years searching for Issai netsuke, through auction catalogues and in person, collections and the examination of historical and published material, I have identified less than 50 extant examples for which I consider an attribution to Issai himself more plausible than one to a follower.
Issai netsuke are therefore exceedingly rare, a circumstance consistent with the account provided by Inaba Tsuryū in the Sōken Kishō.
However, the distinction between a work by Issai and one exhibiting the characteristics of his artistic circle is an important one. The number of netsuke demonstrating sufficient stylistic affinity to warrant a classification of 'circle of Issai' is large. Extend this further to the 'circle of influence of Issai', and the field expands significantly, encompassing some of the greatest exponents of netsuke art.
The Sōken Kishō also provides grounds for caution. It records at least one direct follower, Nagao Taichirō, whose carving was of a skill comparable to that of Issai himself, as well as another individual, Juzō, who worked in the manner of the master. We are therefore presented with a group of at least three highly accomplished carvers, working within a closely related stylistic framework.
Although the identification of Issai-style netsuke has become considerably more refined in recent years, this historical evidence serves as a reminder that the attribution of a particular work to Issai, rather than to one of his contemporaries or followers, remains an exceptionally difficult undertaking.
The professional approach, in my opinion, is to acknowledge this difficulty openly and to employ the classification 'circle of Issai' where the evidence does not permit a more definitive attribution.
Our Ashinaga and Tenaga may well be the work of Issai himself. My more conservative approach to the attribution, however, reflects the existence of other contemporary carvers of considerable ability, as previously discussed, including at least one who worked directly under the master.
Given the extent of research already undertaken into Issai and his artistic circle, I consider the classification 'circle of Issai' both appropriate and supported by the comparative evidence presented in the accompanying study.
The carving nevertheless exhibits considerable secondary characteristics connecting it to Issai's artistic circle. Its expressive interaction, finely observed details and, above all, its compelling humorous narrative are as much a signature of this group of carvers as any tangible stylistic feature.
