Because of the distinguishing cracks, I feel certain this is the same ojime I have handled many times.

Believe that the photo from the book is an ojime and not a netsuke. We can see a subtle indication of a vertical hole at the top of the bead near the fingertips. Whereas, a netsuke would have a V-shaped piercing at the bottom or side.

I remember seeing it in the inventory of the late Luigi Bandini when he worked for Eskenazi, London. I turned it down at five thousand dollars. And then, over the years it has been offered twice at Sotheby's, London. Once more recently at auction in New York. And again privately.

For some reason this bead has changed hands many times. And, I have watched it become more and more yellow over the years. This is not the usual case with high end beads; they ordinarily remain in pristine condition and held privately in the same hands for several decades.

Maybe my sense of time passing is becoming distorted. After all, I have specialized in Ojime for over forty years.

Just Fred