By Minkoku II Shuyusai, signed MinkokuJapan, Edo (Tokyo), mid-19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)The oiran (courtesan) is depicted with long hair held together by a comb and a lace and wearing a minutely incised long garment. A kamuro (young apprentice) carrying a vanity box is beside her. Small himotoshi through the back and signature within a rounded rectangular reserve MINKOKU.HEIGHT 4.8 cmCondition: Good condition with a tiny chip to the comb.Provenance: Sotheby´s London, 12 June 1986, lot 40 (sold for 792 GBP).Literature comparison:Compare to a similar netsuke by the same artist in Schwarz, K. (1992) Netsuke Subjects, p. 88-89, no. 230.This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore this item can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.