AN IVORY NETSUKE OF A COW SIGNED TOMOTADAIvory netsuke. Japan, 18th centuryKyoto works depicting mostly recumbent cows such as this are strikingly different in style from other motifs, predominantly naturalistic and express above all the characteristics of creatures, the ordinary and rural life. This surely resonates with a desire to be one with nature, a Shinto idea, a bourgeois longing for the natural. Certainly, the cow was an artistic ‘invention’, an objectifiable, ingenious idea. This becomes apparent when considering that almost all cows by different carvers were made in a nearly identical manner: head, horns, ears, ribs and spine; the rope, carved in relief passing from the nose around the back in s-shaped lines; the pattern of the fur, which in this case is executed with exceptional skill. The cow looks exactly as it would look in real life and how we would imagine it. The cow’s calf lies at her side, licking her cheek. As with all cow kataborinetsuke, the underside is especially important, showing the legs in a beautifully balanced pose. The signature TOMO-TADA 友 忠 is found in a reserve. Condition: Very good, complete condition with subtle age cracks through the body Provenance: From an Austrian private collectionLENGTH 6.7 CMThis lot is subject to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora [CITES]. It may only be exported outside the European Union after an export permit in accordance with CITES has been granted by the Austrian authorities. Zacke Gallery cannot and does not guarantee that such export permit may or will be obtained, but will by order of the winning bidder, once and exclusively after the item in question has been paid in full, apply to obtain such a permit at a fixed administrative fee of €100,- per application (fee valid for 'Fine Netsuke, Sagemono & Okimono' auction only). This process usually takes 6 months, and most permits we have applied for, have been granted in the past. Our team is happy to assist you with any questions you may have regarding this process