Japanese Carved Bone Rabbit Netsuke With Mother and Baby, Signed

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A Japanese bone netsuke dating to the 1930s, carved in the form of a mother rabbit with her young. The … Read more A Japanese bone netsuke dating to the 1930s, carved in the form of a mother rabbit with her young. The larger rabbit is shown crouched with finely incised fur, while the smaller juvenile figure climbs across her back, creating a compact, interlocking composition. The figures have dark inset eyes and a warm, even patina consistent with age. Set into the base is an inset mother-of-pearl name plaque with engraved and pigment-dyed characters, indicating workshop attribution. A well-preserved example of early 20th-century netsuke carving, suitable for collection or display.

COLLECTOR'S NOTE
Rabbits appear frequently in Japanese netsuke, though mother-and-child compositions are less common and carry layered symbolism associated with protection, continuity, and prosperity. During the Taishō and early Shōwa periods, workshops increasingly produced netsuke as collectible objects rather than functional sash toggles, often incorporating inset name plaques in materials such as mother-of-pearl to signal authorship and elevate presentation. Bone carvings of this period were favored for their durability and ability to hold fine linear detail, making them particularly well suited to animal subjects with textured fur.

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