Photo Credit: matsu-kaze-japan
19th Century Japanese Pumpkin Netsuke
Buy It Now Price: $330 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)
Pros:
-Here is a wonderfully patinaed, hand-carved pumpkin netsuke from Edo era Japan, circa 18th or 19th century.
-In the Edo era, before 1868, Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate and its samurai retainers. At the time, everyone wore kimonos, even samurai. Netsuke were functional wardrobe accessories used to secure a traveler's purse to his kimono sash.
-This antique pumpkin netsuke measures 36.5 mm (1.44 inches) tall by 45 mm (1.77 inches) wide. Although it may not seem like it, this is actually a fairly sbustantial size for a netsuke.
-Technically, this netsuke carving isn't actually a pumpkin! Pumpkins were originally endemic to North America and were extensively cultivated by Native Americans. While a few people in 19th century Japan certainly knew about pumpkins, this carving almost certainly represents a kabocha - a type of pumpkin-like Japanese squash.
-This old pumpkin netsuke is probably made from boxwood, the world's premier carving wood. Boxwood was used extensively in miniature hand-carved objets d'art in both Europe and Japan before the industrial era.
-Although freshly-cut boxwood starts off as a neutral, cream-colored wood, it gradually darkens over time, developing a beautifully rich and deep patina.
-I love the way the artist left some of the wood's natural fissures and gnarls intact in order to add texture and interest to this pumpkin netsuke. It is this phenomenal attention to detail that elevates antique Japanese netsuke to their status as legitimate works of art.
-Japanese antiques in general, and netsuke in particular, distill the very best attributes of Japanese craftsmanship and aesthetics into tangible objects that you can hold in your hand. These works of art are, in my opinion, extremely undervalued in today's market.
Antique Japanese Netsuke Carvings For Sale
Cons:
-This 19th century Japanese pumpkin netsuke carving is unsigned; it would have been more valuable with a signature. Netsuke carving was treated as a bona fide art form by the Japanese, and many of the very finest examples were signed by their creators. In spite of this minor drawback, I believe this netsuke is still worth every penny of its $330 asking price.
-This netsuke carving has a very small, unobtrusive crack on the underside of the pumpkin that does not compromise the structural integrity of the piece. It is not only acceptable, but expected for 150 to 200 (or more) year old wooden antiques to have minor defects of this nature. I believe it has little to no impact on the value of the piece.
