EDO PERIOD (19TH CENTURY), SIGNED TOU

This 19th century netsuke carved from wood represents a masterwork of miniature Japanese sculpture, depicting a dragon in the dynamic moment of emergence. Signed by the artist Tou, the piece exemplifies the exceptional technical skill and naturalistic detail that distinguished the finest netsuke artisans of the Edo period. The subject's powerful musculature and flowing form capture the mythological creature's supernatural energy within a compact decorative object that would have functioned as a functional toggle for securing containers to the kimono sash.