It's a virtuoso work. I could not suppress a grunt of admiration when I saw the work. This work is carved by one piece of wood. There are no joints. And please see the ring hundle. It is carved like real iron hundle.
The Masanao carvers of Ise were famous for their netsuke carving. These artists seldom worked on the larger scale of okimono. Their carvings of frogs and animals were beautifully rendered and infused with a life-like realism.
size 26-23-34(h)cm with original signed box. Signed on the bottom ''Masanao''.
