Wood Netsuke of a Decayed Pear
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
second half of the 19th century
Exquisitely carved in the form of a decaying pear, the irregularly rounded fruit with a short, separately carved stem and a large hollowed aperture exposing the deeply worked, partially collapsed interior.
The outer skin is masterfully textured with numerous minute raised knobs executed in ukibori, convincingly reproducing the spotted, uneven surface of an overripe nashi, while the hollowed interior is partly blackened to intensify the impression of decomposition and reveals the seeded core, with one seed deliberately absent to heighten the effect of decay. The contrast between the smoothly rounded exterior and the darkened, rotting core is rendered with striking naturalism.
Asymmetrical himotoshi to the reverse and signed in ukibori BAZAN.
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)
- 3.9 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
- 206787890
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.