An Ise school boxwood netsuke of a rat rolled into a ball, by Masakiyo. First half 20th centuryScratching its ear and placing the other forepaw over its nose. The eye pupils of black horn. Signed Masakiyo in an area reserved from the fine hairline engraving. Sakai Masakiyo (1875-1955) followed the Masanao tradition of Ise.Height 3.2 cmProvenienzEskenazi, LondonCollection George A Cohen, Birmingham, England Purchased from Helmut Laudenbach, Berg, 3.7.1979 Coll. no. 992 (handwritten)LiteraturGeorge Cohen, In search of Netsuke & Inro, Birmingham 1974, plate XIV, no. 231An Ise school boxwood netsuke of a rat rolled into a ball, by Masakiyo. First half 20th centuryScratching its ear and placing the other forepaw over its nose. The eye pupils of black horn. Signed Masakiyo in an area reserved from the fine hairline engraving. Height 3.2 cm