A wood netsuke of rat on a shuro brush. Late 18th century.

Finely carved as a rat (nezumi) seated on a shuro brush, bound naturalistically with thick bristles. The rodent with a long trailing tail and eyes inlaid in a dark horn. Generously excavated, asymmetrical himotoshi to the underside. According to Merrily Baird (Symbols of Japan, p. 156): …The Japanese do not clearly differentiate between the rat and the mouse, and one word, nezumi [鼠], designates both. …Rat is a messenger of Daikokuten, a deity of grain and vegetation who is one of Japan’s Seven Gods of Good Luck. …Depictions of the rat are most common in years of the zodiac represented by the animal.

Late 18th century.

Dimensions: 49 x 33 x 16 mm.

Provenance: From the private collection of Armand Basi (Spanish, 1924-2009).