NETSUKE: NURSING NINGY?
Japan. Edo period. Late 18th century.

Boxwood; very delicately carved; engraved; with some dark accentuating. The mythical creatures; mother and child. The mother with human upper body and unusally naturalistic bulging breast with nipple; the child grabbing a breast with both hands. W. 4.1cm. Signed: Hosen. Condition A.

Provenance:
-Exhibited at the Netsuke-Convention London in 2013 at the Japanese embassy from 4 April to 31 May; cf. cat. no. 106 in 'In a Nutshell'; there dated to the late 18th century; and MCI p. 195 without information.

Art trade; Van Ham.