SHIGEMASA: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE OF A SNAIL ON BUCKET By Shigemasa, signed Shigemasa 重正 and kakihan Japan, c. 1860 A masterpiece of delicate and naturalistic carving. The snail slithers across an upturned bucket, its body arched (forming the himotoshi) over the edge of the bucket, its feelers extended. The finely polished shell is stained in two different colors, with stippling and minute incision work used to achieve the heterogenous surface of the shell as naturalistically as possible - to great effect! The mollusk's body and inside of the shell is worked with further minute stippling and even the pneumostome (breathing hole) is accounted for. The bucket, as well, is carved true to life, showing the various hues of the wood and grain. Signed on top of the bucket SHIGEMASA with the artist's kakihan. HEIGHT 3.4 cm Condition: Excellent condition. Provenance: Ex-collection Teddy Hahn, Darmstadt. The artist excelled at the carving of snails and was superior in the staining of his work. Literature comparison: For a similar netsuke by Shigemasa, signed with the same kakihan, see Lazarnick, George (1982) Netsuke & Inro Artists, and How to Read Their Signatures, Vol. 2, p. 946. Auction comparison: A similar netsuke signed Shigemasa was sold at Lempertz, Netsuke, Inro und Sagemono, 7 June 2019, Cologne, lot 429 (sold for 3,224 EUR).