A domestic cat has helped himself to a juicy bream, which had been resting on a bed of leaves within a bowl.
This old netsuke, possibly dating from the 17th century, but certainly from the 'foundation age' of netsuke art, is attributed to the Insai studio. The design is an adaptation of the studio's grooming cat, an example of which is in the British Museum (link). A consistent characteristic of this studio's netsuke is that, when found today, they often display a considerably richer patination on the surface of the material than their later counterparts.
Insai instructed his numerous deshi within the studio to concentrate above all on form, and to employ detail with restraint. This allowed a greater proportion of the natural surface of each netsuke to remain free from overly finicky carving - a surface more exposed to handling and the elements, and one that better revealed the tactile qualities of the ivory. Insai understood that the touch of a netsuke should be as rewarding as its visual aspect. In this sense, the Insai studio may be regarded as the tactile champion of the art, not to mention likely the greatest propagator of netsuke-shi who, after gaining their independence, went on to populate the profession more broadly. Artists such as Hoshin and Yoshinaga, in our opinion, both served their apprenticeship in the Insai studio. Masanao, often referred to as "of Kyoto", also shows a strong measure of Insai's artistic inheritance, though this may be the result of indirect influence, where Masanao's teacher had once been an Insai deshi.
This more modern and open-minded evaluation of the areas recorded for netsuke-shi in the Soken Kisho, coupled with an understanding that those areas may primarily denote nativity, and with the recognition that young people destined for craft apprenticeships were both able and encouraged to relocate for employment, has encouraged (and should continue to encourage) researchers to evaluate netsuke art on stylistic grounds and, more importantly, to share their findings freely. Signatures, perhaps the simplest feature of a netsuke to replicate and geography both have their place in research, though enthusiasts willingness to place unflinching faith in them, to the point that they override observable similarity and Edo period historical fact, is hopefully coming to an end.
Our cat, now more than 300 years old, stands as a testament to the refined craftsmanship of the Japanese studio tradition. That studio was likely established in Osaka, the richest city in the land. In the early 1700s, Osaka was experiencing significant population growth. It was also identified by three Japanese netsuke enthusiasts as a heartland of the art form.
What should not be overlooked is that much of what was produced in Osaka, particularly luxury goods, was ultimately destined for shops and markets across Japan - especially Edo, the eastern capital and at the time the most populous city in the world. Merchant networks facilitated the movement of such goods to the places where they would command the greatest profit. Over the three centuries since our cat was made, it has likely passed through and delighted the hands and eyes of countless individuals, all of whom have played some part in the beautiful appearance it presents today.
