Steve Sly Japanese Works of Art has dated this piece to the 1750s.
The netsuke looks to have some other story attached to it as the monkey covers his mouth with his hand while the sage appears to be smiling and looking upwards, the pair are very well carved and extremly tactile as all good useable netsuke of the edo period would be.

Approximate sizes
Height 3" 7.5 cm
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Steve Sly Japanese Works of Art has dated this piece to the 1750s.
Specialists in japanese works of art from the meiji period 1868-1912
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