(SOLD) A large, bold early model of a Dragon, partially covered by a piece of finely decorated fabric. Amongst the fabric and the dragon is a beautiful chrysanthemum blossom carved in high relief.
At present, a peg is missing, which would have completed the centre of the flower. This would have facilitated the wearing of the apparatus. The form would have been manju-like on the belt, which to a head-on viewer would have displayed the overall shape of the netsuke, a mountain.
6cm wide.
Signed in a thin rectangle reserve: Sa (佐) ? ? . I am afraid the signature is so worn that only one character, the first, can be confirmed. The work is clearly an early example of a design I have never encountered before. I tentatively suggest that the netsuke is the work of the elusive, Satake Soshichi, mentioned in the Soken Kisho as a ramma (panel) carver, with Osaka connections. The artist also produced floats for festivals.
Interestingly, a particular type of float, the Dashi was mountain shaped, as mountains were believed to contain kami (Gods). I am at present conducting research into this artist. It is painstakingly slow, but something will be published in the future.
