MASATOSHI: A STAG ANTLER NETSUKE OF A FUKURA SUZUME By Nakamura Tokisada (Masatoshi) (1915-2001), signed Toki 時 Japan, Tokyo, October 1962 Published: Bushell, Raymond (1992) The Art of Netsuke Carving by Masatoshi as told to Raymond Bushell, no. 53. Carved from stag antler with black coral eyes. Large himotoshi underneath and signed TOKI. Masatoshi writes on this piece: “The “Swelling Sparrow” is the plump, little sparrow of the fairy tale. I represented the sparrow in the stylized form in which children see it in their picture books. I chose stag-antler for its suitability for caricature and its markings which suggest feathers. There is one small area visible in the illustration that was porous and developed a cavity as I carved. This sometimes occurs even when the antler appears solid. I remedied the situation by making a mixture of pulverized antler and nikawa and filling the cavity with this mixture. I signed the work “Toki” instead of “Tokisada” because I felt that the single character centered in the square between the two himotoshi and the two legs was more attractive.” LENGTH 4.5 cm Condition: Excellent condition, some natural fissures, and flaws. Provenance: Ex-collection Raymond Bushell, then in a French private collection.