An amusing boxwood netsuke of an octopus riding on a catfish, by Masakazu. Late 19th centurySitting on top of the earthquake fish and holding it down with all of his tentacles, whilst the fish swishes its tail fin wildly. The eye pupils of bone and black horn, the ones of the catfish of black glass, the himotôshi lined with bone. Signed Masakazu on an inlaid oval bone tablet. Height 3.8 cm; length 4.9 cmProvenienzPurchased from J. van Daalen, Utrecht, December 1965Coll. no. 743 (printed and handwritten)An amusing boxwood netsuke of an octopus riding on a catfish, by Masakazu. Late 19th centurySitting on top of the earthquake fish and holding it down with all of his tentacles, whilst the fish swishes its tail fin wildly. The eye pupils of bone and black horn, the ones of the catfish of black glass, the himotôshi lined with bone. Signed Masakazu on an inlaid oval bone tablet. Height 3.8 cm; length 4.9 cmProvenancePurchased from J. van Daalen, Utrecht, December 1965Coll. no. 743 (printed and handwritten)