Japanese Netsuke with Pair of Perched Birds pins I'm not sure if it

I'm not sure if it was a kid or an artist who made it (it is signed S

graphite-colored mark to the surface

I think this all makes the piece even better

The vase is signed Pottery Craft USA on the side near the base

Japanese Netsuke with Pair of Perched Birds pins I'm not sure if itThe world of Japanese Netsuke is incredibly complex (and incredible!), and I am no expert; I bought this piece, as I often do, as impetus to do some learning. I just love the form of these two facing perched birds, joined at the tips of their beaks and feet, with the arcs of their necks almost forming a heart and the negative space between the feet and the base rather like a keyhole. I'm pretty certain this is a 20th century piece made for the tourist