Naitō Toyomasa (1773-1856), A Fine Wood Netsuke of Tengu no Tamago (Hatching Tengu), Edo period (1615-1868), 19th century, Lot 61, Estimate: $30,000-40,000

Netsuke from the Collection of Joseph and Elena Kurstin, Bonhams New York
Live auction, December 16, 2022, 10am EST

The culmination of more than 40 years of collecting, the Joseph and Elena Kurstin Collection of netsuke features a selection of masterpieces by a veritable who’s who of carvers. Discover and bid on 61 netsuke by notable artists such as Masanao of Kyoto, Tametaka of Nagoya, Naito Toyomasa, and Seiyodo Tomiharu.

Dr. Joseph Kurstin began collecting while still a young man in St. Louis after a life-changing visit to New York. He later became a physician and settled in Miami, where he assembled a highly impressive collection. Dr. Kurstin became known to collectors and scholars for the quality of his collection and the breadth of his knowledge. He was also well appreciated for his generosity, with both his time, expertise, and loans from his collection. Among the institutions that have benefited from loans from his collection are Yale University Art Gallery; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Epcot Center; and the Tobacco and Salt Museum in Tokyo.