Knoesthouten haas in vruchtvorm, handgesneden • China • midden 20e eeuw - Carving - China (No reserve price)

Knotwood hare in fruit form, hand-carved • China (attrib.) • mid-29th century

A hare with ears back, tucked into an openwork fruit with stem and leaf, carved from a single piece of heavy, fragrant knotwood. Unmounted; a netsuke, in size, and lacking cord passage.

A knotwood hare in fruit form, hand-carved and attributed to China, 1950s. The carver left the knot in its own shape: the smooth bulge is the fruit, the hollow is the creature’s body. The wood is so dense that it sinks in water, and it smells.

In a glance:

Material: solid knotwood, hand-carved and polished; wood species not established
the wood is a fragrant, sinking hardwood from Chinese timber varieties; candidates yabai-knob (Thuja sutchuenensis) and zitan (Pterocarpus santalinus)

Dimensions: h 7 x w 5.5 x d 5 cm

Weight: 117 g

Brand: none, no maker’s mark, signature, or seal detected

Dating: last quarter of the 20th century

Provenance: from a private collection of world folk art

Description and context:

Egg-shaped ornamental object of hand-sized proportions, intricately worked around. On the front, the hare lies in a carved-out niche, head down, long ears back, hindquarters as a smooth globe. A long leaf with incised veins runs over the body. On the reverse is the stem with knot rings and a sawed leaf, with two carved wormholes as a naturalistic detail. The rest is polished knot with a cloudy grain and dark specks; some natural hollows are left rough. The hare and fruit symbolize a long life in Chinese iconography. No maker is claimed.

Condition:

Good. No breaks, chips, or restorations observed. Top and sides: a few fine shrinkage cracks typical of solid knotwood and no damage. Hollows: rough and unfinished, as intended. Deep grooves: dust and light wax residues. High points: polishing wear from handling. See photographs.

In the interior:

Fits in a display cabinet, on a desk, or among books in an eclectic or Asian-influenced interior. Under spotlight, the knot pattern reddens and the niche appears dark.

Shipping:

Professionally packed in a sturdy box with cushioning, with a double box for fragile objects. Always insured, shipped with Track and Trace. See feedback from previous buyers.

Attribution and sources:

Attributed to China based on the heavy, fragrant knotwood, preserved natural form, and motif. Japan has been considered: a hare netsuke in Japanese national museums measures at most 3.7 cm, this piece is 7 cm, without cord passage or signature. Boxwood is excluded by weight and pattern. Dating from the worn polish and Chinese export after 1978. No comparable example found; a Japanese decorative piece is therefore not ruled out.

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