Japanese Carved Bone Rabbit Netsuke With Mother and Baby, Signed

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Description

A finely carved 1930's Japanese bone netsuke depicting a mother rabbit with her young, rendered in a tender and animated … Read more A finely carved 1930's Japanese bone netsuke depicting a mother rabbit with her young, rendered in a tender and animated composition. The larger rabbit is shown crouched with carefully incised fur detailing, while the smaller juvenile figure clambers over her back, creating a sense of movement and intimacy within a compact form.
The carving displays thoughtful modeling and balanced proportions, with expressive faces and dark inset eyes that give the figures lively presence. The surface has developed a warm, even patina. Set into the base is an inset mother-of-pearl name plaque, engraved and pigment-dyed with characters, indicating workshop attribution rather than casual decorative production. This piece works equally well as a collector’s object or as a small sculptural accent, appealing to admirers of Japanese art, animal subjects, and traditional netsuke forms.

COLLECTOR'S NOTE
While rabbits appear frequently in Japanese netsuke, the mother-and-child motif is less common and carries 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 especially suitable for animal subjects with textured fur.

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