Netsuke, ivory dog with puppies, Japan, 18th century

Ɏ A MASTERFUL AND LARGE IVORY NETSUKE OF A DOG WITH ITS PUPPIES, ATTRIBUTED TO YAMAGUCHI OKATOMO Attributed to Yamaguchi Okatomo, signed Masanao 正直 Japan, Kyoto, late 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Published: Katchen, Arlette (2010) Netsuke 7, Vol. 1, p. 19, no. K36. Masterfully carved as a large recumbent mother dog surrounded by her two exuberant puppies.

The mother rests with her forepaws extended and powerful hindquarters tucked closely beneath her, the thick tail curling around one haunch. Her head is raised and the mouth open to reveal individually carved teeth and tongue, lending her an alert and protective expression. The two pups animate the composition with remarkable movement: one scrambles across her back, one hind leg charmingly extended behind it in mid-climb, while the other twists beneath her flank with a hind leg thrown playfully upward beside its face. The coats are rendered throughout with exceptionally fine, while the eyes are inlaid in dark horn.

Deeply excavated himotoshi underneath and signed MASANAO within an oval reserve. The ivory bearing a fine. LENGTH 6 cm Provenance: Ex-Collection Julius & Arlette Katchen, Paris. Julius Katchen (1926-1969) was a renowned American concert pianist, celebrated especially for his interpretations of Brahms, and his wife Arlette Katchen (1931–2015) shared his passion for Japanese art. Together, they built an important collection of netsuke, reflecting their refined eye for detail and artistry. Their collection became highly regarded for both its quality and breadth, showcasing masterworks across schools, materials, and subjects. After Julius’s early passing, Arlette continued to care for and preserve the collection.

The present netsuke is an important and unusually revealing work within the tradition of late 18th-century Kyoto animal carving, bringing into sharp focus the close stylistic relationship between Okatomo and Masanao. Despite the Masanao signature, the exceptionally fine and densely incised, the distinctive treatment of the inlaid eyes, and, above all, the extraordinary vitality and movement of the composition are strongly characteristic of Okatomo. At the same time, the broad, softly folded ears and aspects of the dogs' physiognomy are distinctly reminiscent of Masanao of Kyoto. Particularly intriguing is the signature itself.

The characters are written in a markedly different manner from Masanao's customary signature, the divergence being so pronounced that it appears almost deliberate, perhaps intended to invoke Masanao without being confused with his usual hand. It is conceivable that the inscription was added at a later date; equally, it may have been incised by Okatomo himself in homage to Masanao and in acknowledgment of the evident stylistic relationship between their work. The carving itself ranks among Okatomo's most accomplished animal compositions.

Particularly noteworthy is the extraordinary sense of movement achieved through the two puppies, whose twisting bodies and awkwardly extended limbs contrast with the powerful stability of their mother. The puppy scrambling over her back, with one hind leg stretched behind it, finds a particularly close parallel in the Masanao puppy cited in the literature comparison below, not only in its pose but also in the treatment of the ears and finely engraved coat. Yet the present group transforms this motif into a far more ambitious composition of three interacting animals.

The remarkable naturalism, humor, technical refinement, and carefully orchestrated movement place the present netsuke among the finest manifestations of Okatomo's animal carving, attaining in certain aspects a level comparable to the finest works of Masanao. Museum comparison: Compare a related ivory netsuke of a dog with an outstretched tongue and similar features, note particularly the closely related carving of the ears, by Masanao of Kyoto, 4.4 cm long, in the British Museum, registration number F.772. We expect the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology to issue the certificate in 2-3 weeks.

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