Lot 21: A boar-tusk netsuke By Jack Coutu (1924-2017), English, carved August 1992

A boar-tusk netsuke
By Jack Coutu (1924-2017), English, carved August 1992Carved in relief with a fast-swimming river otter, its eyes inlaid in horn, the reverse with a fish leaping from swirling water, the broad end plugged with bone; signed on a silver tablet JC. 10.7cm (4¼in) long. (2).

Published: Netsuke Kenkyukai Study Journal, vol.15, no.4, p.43, no.11.Sold together with Jack Coutu's reference card (no.218), on which he states: 'I partially designed this about two years ago and discarded it as too similar to others I have already carved. However it would not go away! So I carved it, and even feel it has worked quite well. At least it is better than the drawing (on the card) and needed a lot of careful decisions rather than long carving. When I saw the photograph (on the card) some months later it has a subtlty[sic] I had not fully realised. I now think it has worked very well.'