λ A JAPANESE IVORY NETSUKE MEIJI 1868-1912 Carved as a monkey examining a flea between his fingers

λ A JAPANESE IVORY NETSUKE

MEIJI 1868-1912

Carved as a monkey examining a flea between his fingers, his other hand scratching his leg where the insect has bitten him, the hair finely depicted, the eyes inlaid in dark and yellow horn, signed Masatsugu in an oblong reserve, 4.8cm.

Provenance: formerly in an English private collection.

Cf. Bonhams, 13th September 2011, for a comparable monkey holding a flea signed Masamitsu originally in the Alan Liss Collection.