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A large wood netsuke of two shaggy dogs (nouken or mukuinu) By Nobumitsu, 19th century image 1
A large wood netsuke of two shaggy dogs (nouken or mukuinu) By Nobumitsu, 19th century image 2
A large wood netsuke of two shaggy dogs (nouken or mukuinu) By Nobumitsu, 19th century image 3
A large wood netsuke of two shaggy dogs (nouken or mukuinu) By Nobumitsu, 19th century image 4
Lot 166*

A large wood netsuke of two shaggy dogs (nouken or mukuinu)
By Nobumitsu, 19th century

The Harriet Szechenyi Sale of Japanese Art
8 November 2011, 10:30 GMT
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £13,750 inc. premium

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A large wood netsuke of two shaggy dogs (nouken or mukuinu)

By Nobumitsu, 19th century
One seated, its head turned back to the right and bearing an alert expression while the other lies by its side, each with its long tail curling around the flanks and their legs drawn in beneath, the slightly-worn wood bears a good partina, signed in an irregular reserve Nobumitsu. 6cm (2 3/8in) wide.

Footnotes

木彫根付　狆二匹　銘「信光」　19世紀

Published: George Lazarnick, ibid., p.835.
Netsuke Classics, Barry Davies Oriental Art, London, 1990, no.42.
Rosemary Bandini, ibid., p.97, no.141.

The design is taken from a page in the woodblock printed book, Ehon Shahobukuro: kyu jo (Treasure bag of sketches, vol.9, first part), by Tachibana Morikuni (1679-1748).

The dog depicted is known as nouken or mukuinu (both terms mean a dog with long and untidy fur) as illustrated in Toshu Zoho Kinmo Zui Taisei (Supplement to the illustrated book for children), published in 1789. The illustration was also reproduced in Edo Banbutsu Jiten (Encyclopedia of everything in the Edo period) published in 1994, where it is stated that the monk Yoshida kenko writes about this dog in Tsurezuregusa (Essays in idleness), 1300-1332.

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