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Collections

Rensai
Kappa (water imp) Caught by Clamlate 19th century

Not on view
Small netsuke or decorative carving in ivory or antler, depicting a textured toad crouched atop a smooth, rounded toad form, with dark pigment in recessed areas
Ivory or bone netsuke carved in the round, depicting a toad crouching atop an oval pod or nut form, with finely incised surface texture, darkened inlay accenting the details, and visible himotoshi seam along the base.

Rensai, Kappa (water imp) Caught by Clam, late 19th century, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Artist or Maker
Rensai
Japan, active late 19th century
Title
Kappa (water imp) Caught by Clam
Place Made
Japan
Date Made
late 19th century
Period
Edo period (1603-1868) or Meiji period (1868-1912)
Medium
Stag antler
Dimensions
1 1/8 x 1 7/16 x 1 1/4 x in. (2.8 x 3.7 x 3.1 cm)
Credit Line
Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection
Accession Number
AC1998.249.49
Classification
Costumes
Collecting Area
Japanese Art
Selected Bibliography
  • Goodall, Hollis, Virginia G. Atchley, Neil K. Davey, Christine Drosse, Sebastian Izzard, Odile Madden, and Robert T. Singer. The Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection of Netsuke: A Legacy at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Chicago: Art Media Resources, Inc.; Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2003.
  • Singer, Robert T., and Kawai Masatomo, editors. The Life of Animals in Japanese Art. Washington, D.C.: National Gallery of Art, 2019.