LATE 19TH-20TH CENTURY, THE FIRST SIGNED SOYA [NAKANO SOYA (ACTIVE LATE 19TH CENTURY)]; THE SECOND SIGNED SOKO TO [MORITA SOKA (1879-1942)]

Details

Two So-School Wood Netsuke**
Late 19th-20th century, the first signed Soya [Nakano Soya (active late 19th century)]; the second signed Soko to [Morita Soka (1879-1942)]
The first carved as a man sitting on a raised platform enjoying an outdoor tea ceremony, two small containers sit before him on a tray beside a tiny inlaid red-lacquer shell, in his left hand he holds a tobacco pouch, the manju netsuke just visible above his closed fist, two maple leaves lie behind him, a spray of chrysanthemums beside the platform legs inlaid with a tiny green stained-ivory worm, signed on the underside; the second, an ebony study of three sticks of charcoal for the tea gathering an inlaid section of a lighter wood indicating the natural variations in color occuring in wood, signature on a small strip of bark that has peeled away on the underside
1 3/8in. (3.5cm.); 2¼in. (5.7cm.) wide (2)

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

Lot Essay

The second netsuke of the group epitomizes the fine work of the So school. The subject of a grouping of charcoal, seemingly mundane at first, is indicative of the refined world of the tea culture where charcoal is an integral part of the event. Soko's sensitive attention to the details, such as the use of inlaid wood of a different color to convey natural color variations in wood, and his unsurpassed carving skills are more readily appreciated by actually handling the work itself.

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