Japanese Miniature Carvings
Netsuke is a Japanese form of miniature sculpture of toggles. Men wearing kimonos, which don't have pockets, would keep their small personal items in a sagemono, a hanging object attached with a silk cord to their obi, the kimono sash (women just tucked their items in their sleeves). Netsuke is a toggle on the other end of the silk cord to keep the sagemono from falling off. These carved toggles were both functional and beautiful. The tradition of netsuke began in the 17th century. Netsuke is most commonly pronounced net-ski.
About Netsuke
Netsuke (Japanese:??) are miniature sculptures that were invented in 17th century Japan to serve a practical function (the two Japanese characters ne+tsuke mean "root" and "to attach"). Traditional Japanese garment?robes called kosode and kimono?had no pockets, however men who wore them needed a place to store their personal belongings such as pipes, tobacco, money, seals, or medicines.
Their solution was to place such objects in containers (called sagemono) hung by cords from the robes' sash (obi). The containers may be a pouch or a small woven basket, but the most popular were beautifully crafted boxes (inro), which were held shut by an ojime, which were sliding beads on cords. Whatever the form of the container, the fastener that secured the cord at the top of the sash was a carved, button-like toggle called a netsuke.
Netsuke, like the inro and ojime, evolved over time from being strictly utilitarian into objects of great artistic merit and an expression of extraordinary craftsmanship.
Such objects have a long history reflecting the important aspects of Japanese folklore and life. Netsuke production was most popular during the Edo period in Japan, around 1615-1868. Today, the art lives on and some modern works can command high prices (US$10,000 or more) in the UK, Europe, the USA, Japan and elsewhere. Prices at auctions in the USA for collectible netsuke typically range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand. Inexpensive yet faithful reproductions are available in museum and souvenir shops for $30 or less.
Books about Netsuke
Netsuke Resources
- International Netsuke Society
- The International Netsuke Society (formerly known as the Netsuke Kenkyukai Society) is devoted to the study and collection of netsuke and related sagemono art forms.
- Netsuke Terminology
- A glossary of terms that are related to netsuke.
Japanese Netsuke by Julia Hutt
Japanese Netsuke
Amazon Price: $32.85 (as of 07/19/2008)
Drawing on the Victoria and Albert Museum's fine collection, Japanese Netsuke examines these appealing, accessible, and often humorous works of art in the broadest possible context.
In a text that is both comprehensive and entertaining, Julia Hutt traces the history of netsuke, showing how these highly collectible objects originated from belt hangings used by nomads along the Silk Road. The stunning color photographs reveal the full range of subjects portrayed-images of animals, birds, and sea creatures, portraits of dancers and demons, droll cameos of characters from everyday urban life, even a rare poetic evocation of landscape-and the high level of skill involved in their creation. The richness and diversity of the materials used, as well as the different sources of inspiration, are also discussed, providing an indispensable guide for collectors and all those interested in Japanese decorative arts.
The Ivory Ban
If you get the impression that an ivory piece is not old, do not buy it. New ivory purchasers are the cause of poaching which is doing great damage to the elephant population, and the money often goes into the hands of ruthless killers who will kill a human as easily as they do the endangered species.
Ivory Netsuke
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byFakes!
If you are looking for an antique netsuke, be prepared to pick through fakes in your search. While often they are beautiful pieces of artwork on their own merit, many are marketed as antique when they are not.
Wood Netsuke
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byWhat is Tagua Nut?
As an alternative to ivory, the Tagua Nut is often used in the carving of modern netsuke.
The tagua nut is an extremely hard nut that comes from the ivory-nut palm. Its endosperm can be carved and polished like ivory, making it a botanical alternative to elephant ivory and giving rise to the name "vegetable ivory." Before carving, the nut is covered with a brown, flaky skin and shaped like a small avocado. Tagua nuts can be found in the rainforest, typically on the ground, where their outer skin is eaten by the various animals populating the region.
The nuts' diameter ranges roughly from 4-8 cm in diameter.
Often, these nuts are used for carvings in rings and other figurines as microenterprises for third world countries in South America.
Netsuke Carved from Tagua Nut
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byA Little About Netsuke
Netsuke Part one - What are this little scalpture?
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Agate Netsuke
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byNetsuke Videos
Antique Ivory Japanese Netsuke - Edo/Meiji Period Zouge
Netsuke Movie Tour
Jade Netsuke
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byJapanese Netsuke Display Cases
Netsuke Display Shelves
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byModern Netsuke
- Netsuke Carver: Ko Baas
- My name is Ko Baas. I live in the northern part of the Netherlands. On this site I tell you something about my hobby, which is carving netsuke.
Hippo Ivory
Hippo ivory, made from a hippopotamus teeth, is another modern alternative to elephant ivory.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byNetsuke Guestbook
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Squidster
Beautiful and very informative lens. I learn something new every day. Thanks for listing it in the Squidoo.Asia Directory! Posted April 22, 2008 |
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Euryale
I own a netsuke of a little boy wrestling with a large carp. It's amazingly detailed. Great lens! Posted April 05, 2008 |
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CrypticFragments
I like it! I have some Japanese lenses which I lensrolled you to and I rated you a 5. However for me, less is more, so I would consider not listing quite as many items for sale, as it becomes overwhelming looking through them all! Posted March 23, 2008 |
