Netsuke in the form of a golden carp, carved boxwood, by Michael and Alexandra Louise Webb, England, 1985

This netsuke is in the form of a golden carp with gold inlaid eyes and a tail that curls back along the body towards the head; there are a pair of holes on the underside for attaching a cord.

Netsuke were traditionally made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated is the katabori (shape carving). With the adoption of Western dress from the mid nineteenth century onwards, netsuke were no longer used as functional items. There has never been a time, however, when netsuke stopped being made as collectors’ items, both in Japan and world-wide. In 1976 Webb left the auctioneering world to devote his time entirely to carving and painting.

His netsuke are extremely accomplished, showing a preference for animal subjects carved in boxwood, such as this example with inlaid gold eyes. This work was a collaboration between Webb and his wife, Alexandra, a jeweller who made the eyes.