A charming old netsuke of a resting cat (neko).
Anonymous, certainly from the 18th Century.
4.7cm wide.
For two reasons, we would suggest that the Miwa studio may bear some responsibility for the pedigree of this cat. The first is the choice of material: cherry, a wood favoured by the studio. The second is the relatively undecorated underside, a feature I have observed on countless occasions in works from the Miwa studio.
For a work by the same hand, now housed at LACMA in the Raymond Bushell Collection, please see the link. It is no surprise that the late, great collector chose to retain this piece for the legacy project he developed in partnership with LACMA. It is a charmer, with that tactile quality of an object one is reluctant to put down once it rests in the palm of the hand.
