I have had the design for this bat for a few years in maquette form but have never been able to use it effectively as a netsuke - or rather as a netsuke which stands upright on its own without support. However, as a handle for a knife, it works well.

The image is of a Fruit Bat on the wing, its attention momentarily distracted by something below. The central pillar of the handle between the wings is carved to represent clouds. Below are two other Fruit Bats, perhaps youngsters cavorting, and a much smaller Long Eared Bat , which I have included in honour of the quite considerable family I have in my loft.

The material is a quite stunning piece of Snakewood I bought in Los Angeles several years ago, which, true to the way of things, I was never able to use for netsuke due to its lack of sufficient width. Because the wood is quite 'busy' to look at, I have had to stain the wings of the lower bats to get them to stand out against the background. The wood polishes so well that I have been unable to photograph the carving without some glare, so I have included a few thumbnails to show the details. The blade was made by Brusletto, from Finland, and I have had to modify the tang but this knife is designed for light duties only.

The piece is 8" long and is signed in 22ct gold.