Featured Netsuke?

Hi there!
I recently received a beautiful figurine and I have found out that it could be a Netsuke.
I would love to learn more about its background and significance.
Attached are some photos. If anyone has insights to share, I would be truly grateful. Thank you in advance for your help!

 

most likely ivory.....and carved in the 80's or later.....
yes...a netsuke.....but made for sale & not ever used.... imo

 

Agree. It's netsuke in form, but decorative, not functional, and probably quite modern.

 

Comparisons are always so helpful. Here's the same figure from the 1920s, according to the seller.

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/netsuke-japan-um-1920-2767-c-f0b45b48d5

Debora

 

Hey!
Big thanks to everyone who shared info about the Netsuke! Your help means a lot. Appreciate it!

 

607f59ed74299_1210155.jpg

the fish monger is a well known image...

while I'm uncertain of the age on the one you found..... Rovers is neither that old or of the same quality...

 

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interesting how similar they are.....but not quite the same....

 

Looks like there are air bubbles in the horizontal lines in the bottom photo.

 

a rotary tool can do that.....

I see a signature just above to hole on the right........???

 

Susette, your charming figurine is indeed fairly recent, as the others said. It represents Ebisu, the Japanese God of the fishermen. He is also one of the Gods of Fortune.
In this case Ebisu is also unfortunate, in the sense that he is ivory.

Probably mid-century, also post-Cites, and not the quality of the original ones.

 

I'm thinking it could be resin as well. Are these air bubbles?

I'm not seeing any Schrager lines.

 

You would only see Schreger lines on rounded areas like the shoulders and possibly the hat, both of which are too decorated to see.
I do see faint ivory-like striation on the head of the fish:

 

I think you're seeing Schrager lines the same way I'm seeing bubbles.

 

I'm not seeing Schreger lines though, only striations. Schreger lines are cross-hatched lines.

 

Hi, thank you for your kind reply, but does "post-CITES" imply a negative connotation, indicating illegal trade of the ivory from which the figurine was crafted?

 

in a way, yup..

 

Yes, Cites is an international agreement to protect endangered species. There are different protection dates for different species, for (African?) elephants that date is 1949. That actually pre-dates the founding of Cites, but it is regarded as a Cites date nonetheless.