NAITO TOYOMASA: A SUPERB WOOD NETSUKE OF A MONKEY SCRATCHING ITSELFBy Naito Toyomasa (1773-1857), signed Toyomasa 豊昌Japan, Sasayama, Tanba Province, c. 1840, Edo period (1615-1868)Powerfully carved as a monkey sitting on one buttock and scratching the other, the eyes typically inlaid in pale translucent horn, the fur finely incised and darkly stained, natural himotoshi between the legs and between the left arm and leg. Signed underneath the left leg within an oblong reserve TOYOMASA.HEIGHT 3.9 cmCondition: Some old repairs to the fingers. Otherwise fine condition with minor wear.Provenance: European private collection. Réne Scholten, acquired from the above in 2001. Scholten Japanese Art, New York, 2008. Sydney L. Moss Ltd., London, 2009. French private collection, acquired from the above.Literature comparison:Compare a closely related wood netsuke of a seated monkey by Toyomasa illustrated in Kurstin, Joseph & Lorin, Gilles (2006) The Peacock's Feather, Gentlemen's Jewelry of Old Japan, no. 40.Auction comparison: A related wood netsuke by Toyomasa of two monkeys fighting over a peach was sold at Tessier Sarrou, Arts D’ Asie, 13 December 2021, Paris, lot 60 (sold for 160,000 EUR). For a related wood netsuke by Toyomasa of three monkeys fighting over a peach see Bonhams, The Harriet Szechenyi Sale of Japanese Art, 8 November 2011, London, lot 155 (sold for 85,250 GBP).