An unusual netsuke of a carp in a waterfall
circa 1870
An unusual netsuke of a carp in a waterfall, a subject associated with the Boys’ Festival and symbolising bravery and perseverance. The carp’s tail thrashes to one side as it confronts the cascade that boils around it. Thunderbolts reinforce the sense of battle, while scattered plum blossoms evoke the end of winter and the coming of new life. The reverse of the netsuke is flat, with one large and one small himotoshi.
