ITTAN: A SUPERB WOOD NETSUKE OF SEVEN RATS IN A PYRAMIDBy Ittan, signed Ittan 一旦 with kakihanJapan, Nagoya, c. 1850, Edo period (1615-1868)Intricately carved and of compact design, depicting seven rats of different sizes piled on top of each other in a pyramid, two of them trapped in the middle of the pile, one of which is upside-down. One of the two rodents at the bottom clutches an edamame bean – presumably this is the reason they are fighting. All the eyes are inlaid in dark buffalo horn and the incisors in bone. The underside with edamame, a leaf, and a rat’s paw forming the natural himotoshi, as well as the signature within an oblong reserve ITTAN with a kakihan.HEIGHT 3.7 cmCondition: Very good condition, minor wear, possibly some replaced inlays to eyes. Provenance: Ex-collection Adrienne Barbanson. Bonhams, Fine Netsuke from the Adrienne Barbanson Collection, 13 May 2013, London, lot 6 (sold for 7,250 GBP). French private collection, acquired from the above.Museum comparison: Compare a closely related wood netsuke of seven rats by Ittan, formerly in the collection of Raymond Bushell and now in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, accession number M.87.263.117.