A GOOD JAPANESE WOOD NETSUKE EDO 1603-1868 Depicting a tengu emerging from his egg

A GOOD JAPANESE WOOD NETSUKE

EDO 1603-1868

Depicting a tengu emerging from his egg, tengu no tamago, the mythical creature levering itself out and with one wing spread over the shell, the eyes inlaid in light horn and with its feathers crisply rendered, signed Toyomasa for Naito Toyomasa (1773-1856) of the Tamba Province, 4.3cm.

Cf. N Davey, Netsuke, A comprehensive study based on the M.T. Hindson Collection, p.240, no.744, for a closely related tengu no tamago described as an early work by Toyomasa, ex Isobel Sharpe Collection, ex Guest Collection, ex H L Joly Collection and illustrated in Legends in Japanese Art, p.340. Also, see F Meinertzhagen, The Meinertzhagen Card Index on Netsuke in the Archives of the British Museum, Part B, p.950 for another tengu by Toyomasa.