‘Leave it’ is a 51mm tall netsuke in boxwood with umimatsu inlaid eyes, featuring a natural himotoshi and compact design. The piece has been delicately carved with meticulous attention to detail and has been finished with careful staining and polishing to enhance form and expression. Started in 2019 and finished in 2020, Leave It is a modern interpretation of a traditional subject matter frequently found in antique Japanese netsuke, pet dogs. This continuation of the subject depicts a challenge encountered by dog owners throughout the world today, persuading mans best friend to give up its latest acquisition. Whether in playfulness or disobedience, this can often be more complicated than it should be.
Photos courtesy of Robert Willford Japanese Art
ADAM BLAND 