A RARE AND LARGE NEGORO LACQUER NETSUKE OF A SEA BREAMUnsignedJapan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The sea bream (tai) depicted with neatly incised scales, swimming through water as its tail fin sweeps to the left, the lateral fins held close to the body for compactness. The netsuke is covered in negoro lacquer, beautifully worn away from generations of handling. Two large, generously excavated himotoshi to one side.LENGTH 7.8 cmCondition: Good condition, the lacquer beautifully worn. An old, smoothed-out chip to the tail fin.Provenance: The Gabor Wilhelm Collection, Paris.Negoro ware is characterized by relatively simple shapes, and by a red lacquer surface rubbed to reveal an underlying layer of black. The name derives from that of a temple, Negoro-ji in present-day Wakayama Prefecture, where the technique for making the wares was discovered by accident in the thirteenth century.