Netsuke identification

[SKF]

I recently acquired this item and was wondering if anyone on this site could help me identify it

[Matsunoki]

Steve, imo this is a fairly modern (20thC) item made for the tourist market. Probably Japanese rather than Chinese like most of the “copies”  are

[SKF]

Thanks for that , I really don’t know anything about it other than it seems pretty cool

[Bugyotsuji]

線刻銘「法實」 Search Results (nii.ac.jp)

Compare with Hojitsu Netsuke.

[John C]

  On 9/17/2024 at 8:47 AM, Bugyotsuji said:

Compare with Hojitsu Netsuke.

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Piers:

Please correct me if I'm wrong, however I was under the impression that overt sexuality and nudity was not really common; that it was much more subtle.

 

John C.

[Bugyotsuji]

John, the quick answer is yes, you are correct.
The reality is however that there were degrees of subtlety in genuine old Netsuké. Use of a shell for example would say more than overtly open legs.
 

And ladies might not have followed our modern ideas of beauty.

 

See this stag antler Ama San.

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

And from the British Museum’s Netsuké (although the one on the left may be a Chinese medicine doctor’s help).