KANMAN: A FINE UMIMATSU (SEA PINE) NETSUKE OF A CICADA ON A BRANCH

By Tsuramitsu (Kanman, 1793-1859), signed Iwami-no-kuni Kanman 石見国貫満 to 刀 and with a kakihan
Japan, Iwami Province, early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Published:
1. Joly, Henri L. (1912) The W. L. Behrens Collection, Part 1, Netsuke, no. 1670 (unillustrated).
2. Hull Grundy, Anne (1961), Netsuke Carvers of The Iwami School, reprinted from Ars Orientalis, no. 90-91.
3. Meinertzhagen, Frederick / Lazarnick, George (1986) MCI, Part A, p. 309.
4. Earle, Joe (2000) The Robert S. Huthart Collection of Iwami Netsuke, Vol. II, pp. 250-251, no. 219.

Naturalistically carved as a cicada perched on a branch, the insect shown in exquisite detail, the veined wings executed with delicate precision, and its legs and head realistically worked, contrasting the smooth, rounded surfaces of the branch. Two large himotoshi underneath and signed to one side Iwami-no-kuni KANMAN to [carved by Kanman of Iwami Province] with the artist’s kakihan.

LENGTH 4.5 cm

Provenance: Ex-collection W. L. Behrens (1861-1913). Ex-collection Anne Hull Grundy, acquired from the above. The Robert S. Huthart Collection, acquired from the above. Bonhams, The Robert S. Huthart Collection of Iwami Netsuke, 6 November 2019, London, lot 78 (sold for GBP 2,805 or approx. EUR 4,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). An Austrian private collection, acquired from the above. Walter L. Behrens (1861–1913) was a German-born banker and philanthropist who became one of the most prominent European collectors of Japanese art at the turn of the 20th century. Based in London, he assembled a vast and distinguished collection that included lacquer, ceramics, and especially netsuke, which he pursued with scholarly rigor and connoisseurship. His collection was widely admired by contemporaries and frequently consulted by leading scholars of Japanese art. After his death, much of it entered major public institutions, ensuring Behrens’ enduring influence in the field. Anne Hull Grundy (1926–1984), later Anne Hull Grundy Boucheron, was a British art collector and philanthropist renowned for her discerning eye and scholarly dedication. Though best known for her collection of European decorative arts and jewelry, she also assembled an important group of Japanese works of art, including netsuke. Much of her collection was generously donated to public institutions, most notably the British Museum, ensuring its accessibility to scholars and the public. Robert S. Huthart (1928–2023) was a British businessman and one of the most important modern collectors of Japanese netsuke. He developed a particular passion for Iwami netsuke, His discerning eye and dedication over several decades elevated the appreciation of Iwami carvers such as Seiyodo Tomiharu and his followers. Portions of his collection are now housed and published by the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.
Condition: Very good condition with minor expected wear, some tiny nibbling to the legs of the cicada.

Umimatsu (lit. ‘sea pine’), commonly known as black coral, is a soft deep-water coral. Many patterns of growth are unique to black coral, growing in whips, trees, fans, or coils, and their size ranges from 10 to 300 cm. While it is commonly used in various forms of jewelry in Japanese art, it is also believed to have apotropaic power and is for this reason used in numerous medical treatments as well.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related umimatsu netsuke of a cicada on a log by the same artist, signed Iwami-no-kuni Kanman to, dated to the first half of the 19^th century, 4.2 cm (length), illustrated in Earle, Joe (2000) The Robert S. Huthart Collection of Iwami Netsuke, pp. 250-251, no. 218.