As part of our Japanese works of art collection we are delighted to offer this most unusual Edo Period 1615-1868 , circa 1820 carved wood okimono depicting a Sarumawashi ( Monkey trainer) this rather naive but none the less charming character carries a monkey slung in a cloth upon his back , with a rope tethering the animal to his wrist, he carries a fan in his other hand , the artist has captured the individual in a static and thoughtful pose, the monkey with his hand out no doubt looking for reward , although unsigned it is likely that this okimono was carved by a Netsuke carver of the late 18th early 19th century , there seems no plausible reason to be carving an item of a scale that decades later would have been produced for the export market as an okimono , we will never know for sure but an educated guess would be a that a Netsuke artist has used his skills to carve this item as a gift or as a commission , whatever the initial reason it has now allowed us the opportunity to featu...