Imre Jakabffy (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 2. (Budapest, 1974)

CSEH, Éva: 18th century Japanese netsuke

Resting buffalo. Ivory. Length: 6,2 cm. (Fig. 3.) Inlaid black stones as eyes, with halter on its head. Elaborate detail, delicately engraved humps. A realistic figure. The himotoshi side is slightly yellowed. Mark : Tomotada, in a square frame. This is one of the greatest Kyoto masters and it is especially his buffalos that were popular and copied to such an extent, that most of the buffalos cannot be regarded as originals. 3. Little turtle on a lotos-leaf. Ivory. 4,8 X 3,4 cm. (Fig. 4.) The curved stem of the leaf forms a handle thus making the himotoshi unnecessary. Yellowed back. Mark : Okatomo, in a square frame. He was the best pupil of Tomotada. There are two more ivory netsuke in our collection, both with his mark. (Dog with ball and Quail on millet.) i. Oni. Negoro lacquer. 3,3 X 3,1 cm. (Fig. 5) With one hand the sitting oni is puliig down his lower eyelid („bekkako") ; the other hand hugs an Okame masque. Goldcoloured hair, eyes, claw. Signature: Okatori. The brother and pupil of Okatomo, worked between 1781—1800. A figure very much like ours is presented by Meinertzhagen:

8 a standing oni, hiding the Okame masque behind his back, Okatomo's work. Another netsuke of Okatomo in our collection: Two quails on millet.

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