SHUZAN YASUSADA: A SUPERB WOOD NETSUKE OF CHORYO AND KOSEKIKO

SHUZAN YASUSADA: A SUPERB WOOD NETSUKE OF CHORYO AND KOSEKIKO
By Shuzan Yasusada, signed Shuzan Yasusada 秋山安定 saku 作
Japan, Echigo Province, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)
Finely carved with Choryo riding a dragon and handing the recovered shoe to Kosekiko atop his horse on a naturalistically carved base. The dragon's scaly body carved to the side of the of the base looking up at the horse with a fierce expression. The horse's saddlecloth bearing gorgeous inlaid mother-of-pearl tassels with green stained bone. A single himotoshi through the base. Signed to the base SHUZAN YASUSADA saku [made by Shuzan Yasusada]—the artist is rarely encountered and belongs to the enigmatic Echigo group of carvers.
HEIGHT 4.7 cm
Condition: Good condition with minor wear and a small nick to the edge of the base.
Provenance:
French private collection. The base with an old sale's label, '129.'
Zhang Liang
(known as Choryo in Japanese) was a Chinese military strategist and politician who lived in the early Western Han dynasty. The present netsuke depicts the legend of when Choryo met the old man Kosekiko (Huang Shigong) on a bridge. The old man began to teach the art of war to Choryo and one day Kosekiko wanted to test Choryo and threw a shoe into the river where a powerful water dragon lived. The dragon seized the shoe and Choryo defeated it and gave the shoe back to Kosekiko. The present netsuke shows exactly this scene – the proud Choryo, with one foot on the dragon's head is presenting the shoe to Kosekiko who is mounted on a horse atop a bridge. According to legend, Choryo used the teachings of Kosekiko as a military adviser to Liu Bang, the founder of the Han dynasty.