Mitsuyuki
is recorded in Netsuke, by A.Brockhaus, Liepzig 1905 In which he is listed as
having carved animal figures in ivory. This fine large okimono was carved from
the near-center of the tusk. It was created for export early in the twentieth
century and depicts, as many such export pieces do, an ebullient scene from the
everyday life of Japan. The fisherman is pleased with his catch and smiles as
he grasps his fishing pole, a carp thrashing on the end of the line. Black pigment
has been used to highlight the eyes and hair of the fisherman, while the motifs
of his garment are engraved in a lighter tone.
Rubbed
to a high hand polish which is glossy and unctuous, with fine detail in the carefully
drawn decorations on the robe, which is covered by a rough apron fastened with
a rope. A spray of sea foam rises up from below the man, who stands firmly with
feet apart and his toes gripping the rocks. Areas of open ivory display the superb
quality of the material, with its fine linear striations that open into the swirling
natural markings so prized in works of ivory.
