Hunting a £4000 buffalo
The compact animal carvings of the Tomotada school are rightly thought of as the zenith of shashin netsuke, and this ivory buffalo and calf, right, by the Kyoto master (or one of his pupils) attracted strong bidding from US and London trade at Bonhams’dispersal of Branton Court.
Major Ambler acquired the 18th century netsuke, and 32 other Japanese ivories at the clearance of He…