Antique Boxwood Netsuke of Man with Masks with Ojime

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This auction is for an antique netsuke carved from boxwood of a man with a basket. Inside the basket are four masks carved from four different materials. One appears to be boxwood, another is jade, and the other two are of an unidentified whitish material. I have been told a little about this particular piece by two collectors who have been kind enough to assist me with the identification of the artist. Both of these experts agree that the signature on the bottom of the basket reads "MIWA". One of them has told me that at least four known artists used this name, and that this appears to be from one who was working during the Meiji period (late 1800s)." The other has also told me that this piece is from the late 1800s, but that the signature may have been added later. I don't yet know enough about netsuke to be able to give an opinion of my own, so I feel that its only fair for me to give potential buyers the opinions of these two experts. The workmanship on this piece is intricate with great detail in expression of the man's face, his fingers and toes, and his clothing, but the most impressive detail is seen in the basket, with a complex weave pattern on the sides, and a perfect fit of the lid to the basket itself. The rim of the basket is paper thin and the top fits tightly onto it. The inside of the lid has a loop carved into it. The inro cord is passed though this loop then though the base of the piece and out the base. through an inlaid carved jade bushing. The cord has an ojime carved from a white material with two faces on opposing sides of the bead. The cord has been cut and knotted below the ojime. The lid of the basket can be lifted off to reveal the four masks. The cord can be pulled tight from the bottom to secure the lid onto the basket. The man in the carving is holding a mask in his right hand which appears to be a contorted version of his own face. The masks in the basket each can be fit onto the mans face via a small tab carved onto the back of each mask which may be inserted into the man's mouth, thus securing the mask in place. I was told that while this piece is not unique for its multiple interchangeable masks, it is uncommon. This piece would make a great addition to any collection for its workmanship and interesting subject matter. If any bidder has any more information on the masks used in the piece I would welcome your input, so please contact me. The winner of this auction will be responsible for all shipping and handling charges as well as insurance on this item (handling charges below include the cost of insurance for domestic shipping). International bidders please contact me prior to bidding. thank you for your interest in this auction, and Sunday 2-13-11 - More information regarding the artist of this netsuke has been brought to my attention. Three netsuke collectors have been kind enough to assist me with the identification of this artist and their findings are as follows: 1. Collector SC: "The signature is 'Miwa', but it appears to be written differently from that of the master artist Miwa who carved in the late 19th century, during the Meiji Period. The signature may have been added later by an individual other than the original artist." 2. Collector RA: "The name Miwa was used by as many as four artists during the Meiji Period. It is difficult to tell which of the artists carved this piece, but the work is different from the usual style of the master Miwa." 3. Collector ED: "There were 3 carvers that used the name Miwa, but the most famous used Cherry rather than Boxwood and the others are not well known." With this information we can come to some conclusions - This piece is from the Meiji period and it was likely carved by one of the artists named Miwa during this time, but probably not by the master. I felt it only fair to share this information rather than misleading bidders. Hopefully this won't discourage anyone as this netsuke is quite beautiful and unus... read more

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