made in Japan
This ivory netsuke is carved into a kettle with fox head and tail and a man kneeling either side. A netsuke is used to fasten an inro, a lacquered container, which hung from the sash of a man's kimono. They became miniature art forms in their own right.
This netsuke refers to the story about a badger who turned into a singing kettle and made a fortune for a tinker. When stolen he played up and he is sometimes confused with the fox. The netsuke is signed Ikko, a late 19th century artist.
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