RAKUCHU: A LARGE CONTEMPORARY EBONY WOOD NETSUKE OF A BAT AND MOON By Rakuchu, signed Rakuchu 樂虫 Superbly carved as a bat, its head turned back and screeching, its well-carved wings flowing downward and ending in pleasing curls. Note the minutely incised hairwork. The reverse with large, asymmetrical himotoshi, the larger hole inlaid with mother-of-pearl to resemble a crescent moon against the midnight sky. Signed RAKUCHU. HEIGHT 10.1 cm Condition: Excellent condition. Provenance: European collection. For a discussion of the artist by Yoichi Shimatani, titled Rakuchu: A Neoclassical Netsuke Carver, see INSJ, vol. 29, no. 4.