unsigned marine tooth netsuke
19th century
carp and waterwheel
height 1 1/4 in., 3.2 cm
the fish curls into a tight arc as it attempts to overcome the swirling current made by the waterwheel, its mouth is open and the fins are tucked under its tensed body as it prepares itself to leap, details stained black, the eye inlaid in dark stone, unsigned
Carp are a symbol of perseverance, often depicted leaping up the rapids of a waterfall. Its strength and determination were qualities to which young men were expected to aspire. This study adapts the waterfall concept to the waterwheel, a more compact and practical composition for the netsuke format.
Published:
Expressions of Style: Netsuke as Art, New York, Scholten Japanese Art, August 2001, no. 168
