As part of our Japanese works of art collection we are delighted to offer this gorgeous quality carved Ivory netsuke from the latter part of the Meiji period circa 1910, the finely carved toggle depicts a baby Octopus or Squid peering out from a Clam shell , one tentacle reaches out to a Hermit Crab , above which sits an Abalone shell , the highly regarded artist has carefully captured the larger Shell resting upon a group of Shells beneath and thus forming a natural himotoshi , the artist has further decorated and stained each shell to give them their lifelike appearance , the signature reads Chokusai and he can be found in Lazarnicks Netsuke and Inro artists book published in 1981 , a stunning little Netsuke from a highly regarded artist.Note : Lazarnicks suggests that the artist was born in Osaka in 1877 and studied carving between the ages of 16-20 under Isseisai Naomitsu , he then devoted himself mostly to Netsuke carving , amongst his pupils were Kosen Nishimto and Okada Naoa...