A RARE IVORY NETSUKE OF A DUTCHMAN WITH KARAKO

Ɏ A RARE IVORY NETSUKE OF A DUTCHMAN WITH KARAKO
Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)
The Dutchman and boy standing side by side, the karako holding a fan behind his companion’s back, the foreigner holding a closed folding fan, both wearing long buttoned robes with wave designs, the man with characteristically curled hair and wearing a large hat, his back with two asymmetrical himotoshi.
HEIGHT 7.8 cm
Condition: Very good condition, appealingly worn, few minor age cracks, a small nick to the hat. Fine honey-yellow patina.
Provenance: European collection.
The present netsuke is quite unusual in that the Dutchman and child are standing side by side. Netsuke depicting a Dutchman with child almost invariably depict the foreigner carrying the child, either on his back or in the case of smaller children in the front. The karako in this netsuke, however, seems to have reached an age where such action would be deemed inappropriate.
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, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.
Trade Certificate:
The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number AT 22-B-0285).