† MASAMARU: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE OF A RECUMBENT HORSEBy Masamaru, signed Masamaru 正丸Japan, Nagoya, c. 1800, Edo period (1615-1868)Finely carved, the dark-reddish cherry wood beautifully smoothed and bearing a fine patina. The horse (uma) is sensitively crafted, rearing its head back over its left shoulder, the mane neatly incised and falling in tresses over its neck. The underside is equally well-carved, showing the legs with superbly carved hooves tucked underneath for compactness. Signed MASAMARU in a polished area on the haunch underneath.LENGTH 3.7 cmCondition: Very good condition, only very minor wear. Small repair to one ear. Superb patina.Provenance: Ex-collection Philip Schneider (1908-1983), sold at Sotheby’s, Japanese Works of Art, 21 March 1997, New York, lot 318. A noted private collection, USA, acquired from the above.The artist is a rare artist from the Nagoya school, his output being fairly limited and mostly focused on netsuke depicting shojo. The comparison of this netsuke with Ichiyu’s kirin (lot 72) and Masayasu’s goat (lot 74) is certainly instructive and interesting, particularly when comparing the undersides. The present horse netsuke is surely slightly earlier, and the three carvings together provide insight into the evolution of Nagoya carver’s techniques with more attention given to fur and an increased use use of sukashi-bori (openwork), as netsuke became more ornamental during the 19th century, rather than being worn.Auction comparison:Compare to a closely related Nagoya school wood netsuke of a horse by Ittan was sold at Christie’s, Japanese Art & Design, 11 May 2011, London, lot 301 (sold for 3,750 GBP).13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer’s premium – only for buyers within the EU.