unsigned
Iwami school
3.6×2.7cm（HD）
Heavy 26.5g
Extremely good condition.
Provenance: French private collection.
A most unusual Narwhal netsuke conveying a hare.Usagi are a beloved animal of the Junishi or annual zodiac signs of the Japanese lunar calendar. The hare symbolizes alertness and longevity, while the Ganoderma lucidum symbolizes wealth, health and happiness. The combination of the two adds auspicious meaning. The lucky rabbit holds Ganoderma lucidum in its mouth, and the lines are drawn with strong and powerful lines, making it even more colorful and magical.
Narwhal (scientific name: Monodon monoceros) is a type of toothed whale. In most people’s minds, they are always associated with the legendary unicorn, and the reason is obvious: male narwhals have long, spiral tusks, making them closer to the legendary unicorn than any other creature in the world. The image of the beast. In fact, during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, both China and Japan regarded the narwhal as a mysterious creature. Its tusks were regarded as “unicorn horns” and were valued at more than gold.
The “unicorn” of the narwhal is actually a specialized left canine tooth. All narwhals lack functional teeth in their mouths. Most female whales are toothless throughout their lives. The left one of the two upper teeth of male whales (including very few female whales) will protrude outside the lip when they are two or three years old. And it continues to grow, weighing more than ten kilograms. Most of the tusks are left-handed, and the interior is mostly hollow. The axis remains straight, but sometimes it twists. A very small number of male whales (the rate is about 1 in 500) will even have the teeth on the right side protruding outside the lip, forming a rare case of “double tusks”. The extra tusks on the right side are usually shorter than the ones on the left side.
Reference：Netsuke:A comprehensive study based on the M T Hindson collection by Neil K Davey P327図版1001
A RARE MODEL OF A SUISEI in tooth ivory, it stands on a base with its head turned down to the left, its carapace well shown and its eyes inlaid in amber, the himotoshi is formed by a small rock to one side, 19th century (334)
Ex H. A. Gunther collection, No. 557
The suisei is a rare form of kirin with a tortoise- like carapace and a single horn. The base here is cracked and was probably intended for a seal.
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