IKKAN: A FINE WOOD NETSUKE OF A RAT WITH A SHOGI TILEBy Ikkan, signed Ikkan 一貫 Japan, Nagoya, mid-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Published: Sydney L. Moss Ltd. (2005) More Things in Heaven and Earth, no. 56.The finely stained and carved cherry (sakura) wood netsuke depicting a male rodent seated on its haunches with one front paw grasping the edge of a shogi chess tile and the other raised, one hind paw gripping its tail, the other only visible on the underside, with natural himotoshi between the tail and body, the eyes inlaid with dark horn. On the underside the shogi tile is boldly incised with the kanji for horse (keima 桂馬, the equivalent of a knight in Western chess). The belly of the rat signed within an oval reserve IKKAN.LENGTH 4.3 cmCondition: Very good condition, minor wear, few tiny nicks, few light scratches. Provenance: Sydney L. Moss, London, 2005. French private collection, acquired from the above.With its reference to a horse, the shogi piece neatly makes the netsuke into a joint representation of two zodiac animals. The rat and the horse represent opposite signs in the Asian zodiac and as such are considered incompatible. However, if the ‘younger’ of the two signs (the horse) submits to the ‘older’ (the rat), then the pairing can be successful.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related wood netsuke depicting the same subject by Ikkan, illustrated by Harris, Victor (1987) The Hull Grundy Collection in the British Museum, p. 47, no. 149, and another in Atchley, Virginia / Davey, Neil (2006) The Virginia Atchley Collection of Japanese Miniature Arts, p. 29, no. N6.Auction comparison: Compare a related wood netsuke depicting the same subject by Tomokazu at Galerie Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 22 April 2022, Vienna, lot 114 (sold for 6,952 EUR).