Our August spotlight netsuke is large wood study of a skull.
The sheer size of this netsuke along with the immense feeling it conveys, results in the work 'standing out' among many a fine netsuke.
In approximately 2015 via an intermediary I purchased a whole collection of netsuke that had remained intact since the break out of WWII in 1939. This work was one of the 'stand outs' of that group. Since selling the piece a decade ago the work has remained within the same collection.
Signed Tadashige 忠重.
Interestingly, many years ago, I purchased an ivory skull by the hand of Kohosai. Until 2015 I had seldom seen this work equaled and cannot recall bettered. It was however equaled when I purchased this skull netsuke.
