A large wood netsuke of a Mikan still attached to a single leaf by way of a stalk. The fruit, partially pealing, which has revealed the inner segments of the fruits flesh.
At a later date, likely on two different occasions, the original netsuke has experienced a restoration and a renovation.
The original netsuke likely had a himotoshi, drilled to the reverse at the centre and joining an exit hole - which is approximately one inch to the side. This netsuke would have been made entirely from wood.
Later, another drilling procedure was undertaken and the original entrance hole to the reverse was drilled all the way through to the front, this created a straight tunnel for a metal peg and ringlet system to be fitted. Of course this meant there was a redundant original exit hole. This was filled with a little lacquered dome, probably intended to denote a bug of some description.
Some time likely passed with this netsuke in this revamped state, and I would suggest this revamping was undertaken due to some damage occuring. The work likely, to the front where now a metal Chrysanthemum petal can be viewed had a carved area in wood, perhaps proud of the skin and this became damaged and unsightly, thus the owner deemed it necessary to have the metal part made.
Later, I would suggest purely for an ascetic accoutrement a little metal fly was added to the leaf.
One cannot be completely sure, however, to my eye, this work in its lifetime has been three types of netsuke. It has passed through the hands of individuals who have loved it in its original state, so much so they reacted to a damaging event by restoring it. This evidences antique restoration practices during the Edo period to my mind and was the second lifetime of the netsuke so to speak. Then as time has passed another owner has thought it prudent to revamp the work with the addition of a fly, which as far as I can tell has been undertaken purely for ascetic value. This is the 3rd life of the netsuke - how we see the work today.
Personally I find this amazingly interesting and enlightening, furthermore, it demonstrates that restoration and renovation was a practice in old Japan, and where there was a practice their was a peddler, ie. Individuals that practiced restoration and renovation as a speciality or as a measure of a related profession. The most renowned and celebrated artist who practiced this type of trade was Mebun (better known as Ganbun today) who was a professional (specialist) renovator. He clearly scoured on the hunt for objects to revamp, and the objects that he was looking for appealed to his and no doubt his clients ascetic values. Ie, the natural world and how life is afflicted with a consistent cycle of decay, rebirth and decay.
I have never seen a Mebun anything that did not include (I believe) another artists work, even if that artist was nature itself.
Ex: Private collection Germany
