Width: 11cms
Date: August 1993
Product Code: KPNE04
Simply put, POA stands for “Price on Application”.
With some of our pieces, we prefer not to openly publish our asking price. We absolutely welcome visitors to the website to contact us to enquire about the cost of such pieces.
We just prefer to have a conversation to allow us to explain the pricing as well as to talk in more detail about the piece in question.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a super expensive piece but it may just be that there is something unique or special that we would like to be able to tell you about in more detail.
Contact us to find out more.
A modern (August 1993) boxwood netsuke of a realistic leaping frog with horn eyes.
Signed – Jack Coutu on a silver tablet.
Condition – Excellent
Provenance – Artists notes on the netsuke are available.
Jack Coutu (1924-2017)
Jack Coutu was an artist of diverse talents, known primarily for his prints, watercolours and sculptures. He lived in Farnham, Surrey and attended the Farnham School of Art (Now UCA) before later studying then teaching printmaking at Central school of Art (now central St Martins) he was influenced by oriental art and began to carve netsuke in 1968. His work is held in collections in the V&A, The Museum of Fine Arts Boston and the Arts Council England.
Frog
Frogs have an interesting history in the British Isles, in Medieval England they were believed to be witches familiars and a sign of the devil. There have also been many historic uses for them in medicine, it was said that rubbing a frog on a tooth would cure toothache, their ashes could stop bleeding and they would change colour when it was going to rain.
However from the artists notes he did not choose the frog as a subject due to it’s folkloric meaning, he was more interested in the form of the subject. It is common for modern western artists to depict animals of their home countries.
Netsuke
A netsuke is essentially a toggle, used to prevent an object (usually an inro) from slipping through the obi (kimono belt). A cord is passed through the himotoshi (two small holes on the netsuke or a natural hole formed by a leg or arm of the piece) the other end tied to a container containing money, herbs or tobacco. The cord is then passed through the obi with the netsuke resting above it and the container below.
Netsuke have evolved from being utilitarian objects to miniature sculptures of great beauty and craftsmanship. Subjects they depict wide ranging and are an important record of Japanese life and folklore.
Modern Netsuke
The tradition of carving netsuke is still alive and well today, with many Japanese artists creating great works of art equal to the old masters. Netsuke are also a popular subject for western carvers who use the techniques to depict traditional Japanese subjects or carve miniatures inspired by their own culture and animals.
We completely understand that purchasing art and antiques online is a relatively new concept to many people, so our team will be very happy to provide additional information and support along the way.
We are members of BADA, LAPADA and CINOA, working closely with these associations and we are very proud of our reputation as one of the most established, valued and trusted dealers of Japanese and Chinese Art and Antiques in the industry.
Our galleries in Islington are open Monday through to Saturday (from 1030 to 1630) by appointment only. Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
These details have been entered here.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aenean non leo varius nibh dapibus vehicula. Donec elementum nunc at nunc ornare vehicula. Nulla suscipit, lectus nec volutpat lacinia, tortor nibh egestas justo, a mollis ligula sem in diam. Nullam ultrices lacinia feugiat. Mauris tempor placerat urna, ut lobortis augue aliquam ut.
