TOYOMASA: A SUPERB WOOD NETSUKE OF A HATCHING TENGU (TENGU NO TAMAGO)By Naito Toyomasa (1773-1857), signed Toyomasa 豊昌Japan, Sasayama, Tanba Province, c. 1840, Edo period (1615-1868)Published: Eskenazi (1978) Eighteenth to Twentieth Century Netsuke, p. 27, no. 27 and illustrated in the Eskenazi advert on the back cover of the International Netsuke Collectors Society Journal, Vol.5, No. 4.Sydney L. Moss Ltd. (2006) More Things in Heaven and Earth, no. 48.Finely carved as a tengu emerging from its egg, the left wing already spread over the outside of the shell, pulling itself out of the egg with skeletal fingers, the opening surrounded by neatly incised and darkly stained ‘cracks’, the eyes inlaid in mid-toned buffalo horn with drilled pupils, its prominent beak is open. The attractive grain of the wood is plainly visible on the smoothly polished surface of the shell. The tengu’s long hair, plumage, and the webbing of its wings are masterfully incised and stained for effect. The underside with the himotoshi and the signature TOYOMASA.HEIGHT 4.6 cmCondition: Very good condition, minor wear, the underside with few light surface scratches. Provenance: Ex-collection Edward Wrangham. Eskenazi, London, 1978. Italian private collection, acquired from the above. Sydney L. Moss Ltd., London, 2005. French private collection, acquired from the above.This remarkable netsuke is certainly one of the finest and largest examples from the series of hatching tengu carved by the celebrated Tanba master Naito Toyomasa (1773-1857).Literature comparison:Compare a related wood netsuke of Tengu no Tamago by Naito Toyomasa, illustrated in Meinertzhagen, Frederick / Lazarnick, George (1986) MCI, Part B, p. 950, and another illustrated in Davey, Neil K. (1974) Netsuke: A comprehensive study based on the M.T. Hindson Collection, p. 240, no. 744.Auction comparison: Compare a related wood netsuke of Tengu no Tamago by Naito Toyomasa, 4.1 cm wide, dated 19th century, at Bonhams, Netsuke from the Collection of Joseph and Elena Kurstin, 16 December 2022, New York, lot 61 (sold for 40,695 USD).