A FINE TANBA SCHOOL WOOD NETSUKE OF A QUAIL AND MILLETUnsigned Japan, Tanba Province, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Finely carved with a quail in mid-flight, a curved stalk of millet in its beak, the leaves flowing in an aerodynamic fashion. The plumage is meticulously rendered with precise incision work and dark staining, typical for the Tanba school. The eyes are inlaid with dark horn. The underside with the quail’s feet and the asymmetrical himotoshi.LENGTH 4.7 cmCondition: Some repairs to the millet stalk and leaves. One eye is replaced. Otherwise good condition with minor wear.The combination of quail and millet is popular in Japanese art and symbolizes autumn. In Chinese, the two form the rebus suisui ping’an, meaning ‘may you have peace year after year’. It is common for Japanese artists to borrow such symbolism from the Chinese visual vocabulary.Auction comparison: Compare a related wood Yamada school ryusa manju netsuke depicting a quail and millet at Galerie Zacke, Fine Netsuke & Sagemono, 25 September 2020, Vienna, lot 120 (sold for 2,528 EUR).