The full inscription reads "carved by Unshodo himself from a stone [probably a reference to umimatsu, petrified sea pine, also known as black coral] in Higashiyama Giondori [district of Kyoto]". As Mr. Bushell notes, black coral often has yellowish brown areas which in this case have been employed as the mouth of the animal. The neat, miniscule characters inscribed in the shaped cartouche on the underside of the ox are reminiscent of the inscriptions on some Iwami school netsuke and may, as Mr. Bushell surmises, suggest a relationship.