Lot 301
SUSAN WRAIGHT (BRITISH 1955-2026) §
CRANE, c.1991
Auction: 30 October from 10:00 GMT
Description
monogrammed on an inset gold tablet, stained holly netsuke, with inlaid horn eye
Dimensions
3.5cm high, 4.5cm wide, 3.5cm deep (1 3/8in high, 1 ¾in wide, 1 3/8in deep)
Provenance
The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, where acquired by the present owner in 1992;
Private Collection, U.K.
Footnote
Susan Wraight (1955–2026) trained in jewellery and silversmithing at the Royal College of Art, London. A museum encounter with Japanese netsuke led her to miniature carving, to which she brought a jeweller’s precision and sensitivity to materials. Traditionally, netsuke secured small personal accessories suspended from the kimono sash; in Wraight’s hands, the form became an intimate sculpture intended to be appreciated by touch as well as sight.
Working chiefly in fine-grained woods such as boxwood and holly, Wraight also used tagua nut and occasional inlays of amber or mother of pearl. Nature was a constant source of inspiration, though her subjects could carry a quiet narrative or touch of humour. She balanced fine detail with compact, expressive forms. Her work is represented in the British Museum, the National Gallery of Australia, the Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum and the Prince Takamado Collection in Japan.