Nagoya school wood netsuke of a sleeping shojo
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
early 19th century
Finely carved as a Shojo reclining in deep drunken slumber, her head resting heavily on one hand while the other arm lies relaxed across the body. The compact figure is enveloped in voluminous robes worked with scrolling and brocade-like patterns, while the long hair falls in thick strands over the back. Particularly effective is the face: heavy-lidded eyes, softly parted lips, and relaxed fleshy features give the inebriated figure a remarkable immediacy and character. Himotoshi to the back and signed TADATOSHI.
Sleeping Shojo are among the best-known subjects of the Nagoya school and were carved by Tadatoshi and several related artists. The standard model usually shows the figure curled on her side with the head neatly propped on the right hand. The present netsuke departs from that familiar formula: the broader, more open posture and unusually expressive face give the figure a far more individual and characterful presence.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Material (listing wording)
- wood
- Dimensions or weight (listing wording)
- 4 cm
Identification
- Source note
- Auction-house description published on Invaluable. Attribution and measurements describe the photographed example; independent type authentication remains research required.
- Listing object ID
- 206787881
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Independent confirmation of type attribution and auction-house statements remains research required.