A fine articulated ivory okimono of a lobster, naturalistically carved with all joints fully movable, in pale ivory, the eyes stained for effect. With tomobako.
Signed Nankai (Yamazaki Nankai)
Tomobako inscribed o-ebi (lobster) on the cover, the interior zoge o-ebi ikko, Sakurai Sosai (A large lobster, Sakurai Sosai)
An almost identical piece is illustrated in the History of Japanese Ivory Carving, published The Shoto Museum of Art, 1996, p. 119.  Although the artist’s dates are unknown, he was commissioned to a dealer Sakurai Sosai of Tokyo who exhibited fine ivory works at the domestic and world exhibitions during the Meiji period.

象牙大海老置物　銘　南海（山崎南海）