TOSAI: AN EXQUISITE MINIATURE BAMBOO NETSUKE OF MONJU BOSATSUBy Tosai, signed Tosai 東采Japan, Tokyo, late 19th centuryA truly miniature-sized carving, likely intended as a gift for a child, the protective deity seated on a shishi and holding a scroll. The boddhisattva is dressed in a voluminous robe with billowing scarves, the details such as her urna and the shishi’s eyes and fangs are inlaid in dark horn or wood. The underside shows two ringed himotoshi and the signature within a square silver tablet TOSAI – this rare artist is associated with Suzuki Tokoku (1846-1913) who carved similar fine works with inlays.HEIGHT 2.6 cm, LENGTH 2.3 cmCondition: Excellent condition with minor natural imperfections to the material, as are to be expected.Provenance: Ex-collection Irene Segeler, Zurich, purchased at Kunsthandel Klefisch, 26 November 1994, Cologne, lot 135. Irene Segeler specialized in collecting tiny children’s netsuke, acquiring over 80 examples, which is quite remarkable as they are exceptionally rare. A few pieces from her collection are illustrated in Children’s Netsuke (2001), The International Netsuke Society Journal (INSJ), vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 26-30.Literature comparison:Compare a related wood netsuke, by Jujo (school of Jugyoku), in Meinertzhagen, Frederick / Lazarnick, George (1986) MCI, Part A, p. 279.