A compact and remarkably intricate ivory netsuke of a large female tiger with its cub climbing down from its back. The mother’s body is muscular with pronounced shoulder bones, and her entire body is contorted into a circle, her tail swinging around to her front paws. The little cub which is climbing down her back is depicted in motion, one paw on the ground and the other sliding down her right leg, the shoulder bones equally well-pronounced and the minutely carved tail in a wavy line across the mother’s back. The fur coat is remarkable and very naturalistic in this piece with stained dark lines imitating the tiger’s fur pattern like wet running paint. Netsuke carvers knew their tiger fur very well, however the actual image of the tiger was often parodied or somewhat confused. As in this netsuke where the tiger’s body comes across all powerful, however the expression is comedic and rather docile. The eyes are inlaid in mother of pearl with the pupils far apart, red-tinted mouth and the mother tiger has its mouth opened with a snarling expression. The underside with well-carved clawed paws, natural himotoshi and the signature located in a double gourd shaped reserve HAKURYU (meaning literally hundred dragons).

Hakuryu’s tigers are completely unique in their individuality, style and expression and matched only perhaps by the tigers by Matsushita Otoman. The existence of many imitations and copies of Hakuryu’s tiger(s) perhaps give this distinct type a bad reputation, however this netsuke is of superior quality and without a doubt by the great master himself, who is said to have originated from the Rantei school.

Category:

-

Subcategory:

-

Subject:

Animal

Material:

Ivory

Age/Country:

19th Century

Artist:

Hakuryu

Provenance/Owner:

Galerie Zacke

Signed:

signed

Type:

Katabori

Height:

30mm mm

Width:

40mm mm

Depth:

mm

ID number: