Lot 7: A boar-tusk netsuke By Jack Coutu (1924-2017), English, carved February 2000

A boar-tusk netsuke
By Jack Coutu (1924-2017), English, carved February 2000Carved in relief, a pair of wood ducks floating in the water, one parent rushing towards the nest, their ducklings threatened by a weasel on the boxwood plug at the broad end; signed on a silver tablet JC. 12.2cm (4¾in) long. (2).

Sold together with Jack Coutu's reference card (no.298), on which he states: 'I put a large boxwood plug on this one intending to cut it off later. I then decided to use it full scale and redesigned the idea to suit it. It makes a larger netsuke, but more interesting. A very busy design! Nice colour. I rather like it at the moment.'