A RARE INLAID UMIMATSU (SEAPINE) NETSUKE OF SHELLFISH ON A ROCK Unsigned Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved as a rock, fully exploiting the purple-black umimatsu, the almost black material with pale lacquer striations, lightly polished to show the grain. Intricately inlaid with bone, horn, and coral to depict a conch and two clams underneath corals carved in openwork from umimatsu. Large himotoshi to one side and the underside. LENGTH 4.7 cm Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, tiny losses to inlays, the material with natural fissures, some of which may appear as tiny nicks or cracks. Provenance: French private collection. Umimatsu (lit. seapine) is in fact a species of black coral with dense texture, concentric growth rings, and amber or reddish colored inclusions in the otherwise brown-black material. True coral is a hard calcareous substance secreted by marine polyps for habitation; umimatsu, on the other hand, is a colony of keratinous antipatharian marine organisms. As a material, it was considered risky for carvers as it was prone to crack, crumble, or chip.