What is netsuke?
Netsuke is a form of miniature sculpture that developed in Japan over a period of more than 300 years.
Netsuke served both functional and aesthetic purposes. The kimono, the traditional form of Japanese dress, had no pockets. Women would tuck small personal items into their sleeves, but men suspended their tobacco pouches, pipes, purses, or writing implements on a silk cord from their obi (kimono sash). These hanging objects are called sagemono. To stop the cord from slipping through the obi, a small toggle was attached. The toggle is called a netsuke. (The most popular pronunciation is "net-ski", while the actual Japanese is closer to "netskeh"). A sliding bead (ojime) was strung on the cord between the netsuke and the sagemono to tighten or loosen the opening of the sagemono.
The entire ensemble was then worn, at the waist, and functioned as a sort of removable hip pocket. All three objects (the netsuke, the ojime and the different types of sagemono) were often beautifully decorated with elaborate carving, lacquer work, or inlays of rare and exotic materials, including: wood, ivory, precious metals, shell, coral, and semi-precious stones. All three items developed into highly coveted and collectible art forms.
-information from the International Netsuke Society
Image by Rama
After you've explored this lens, please visit World of Netsuke for more information and listings.
Netsuke Gallery
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Forms of netsuke
mennetsuke or "mask netsuke" - the largest category after katabori, these were often imitations of full size noh masks, and share characteristics in common with both katabori and manju/kagamibuta
manjunetsuke or "manju netsuke"- a thick, flat, round type of netsuke, with carving usually done in relief, sometimes made of two ivory halves. Shaped like a manju.
ryusanetsuke - shaped like a manju, but carved like lace, so that light shines completely through
kagamibutanetsuke or "mirror lid netsuke" - shaped like a manju, but with a metal disc serving as lid to a shallow bowl, usually of ivory. The metal is often highly decorated with a wide variety of metallurgical techniques.
karakurinetsuke or "trick/mechanism netsuke" - any netsuke that does something, ones with moving parts or hidden surprises
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International Netsuke Society
devoted to the study and appreciation of netsuke
Membership in the society, founded in 1975, includes a subscription to its quarterly, 60-page, color, illustrated magazine, the International Netsuke Society Journal. Among the other Society activities are a biennial convention held in the United States and local chapter meetings in the United States, Japan and Europe. There are over 625 society members living in 31 different countries.
Materials used to create netsuke
Recommended netsuke books
world-of-netsuke.com
learn more about netsuke, inro, ojime, and sagemono
The World of Netsuke is dedicated to netsuke and all things related. You can see antique, vintage, and modern pieces (some are very affordable) and learn more about this delightful art form.
If you are looking for specific information, you can go directly to:
What Is Netsuke?
Netsuke Resources
Netsuke Bibliography
Netsuke Books for Sale
Netsuke Slide Show - Los Angeles County Museum of Art
What is netsuke?
Netsuke Part one - What are this little scalpture?
More netsuke resources
- Koryuen: Netsuke
- Information about exhibitions, events, and publications, in English and Japanese
- Netsuke
- A very informative and interesting netsuke site created by Ko Baas, a netsuke enthusiast from the Netherlands.
- Netsuke Message Board
- Netsuke Message Board, a forum for netsuke collectors
- Asian Art Newspaper
- Asian Art is published 10 times a year. It covers the entire Asian art world from East Asia and Southeast Asia arts to Himalayan and South Asian arts.
- AntiquesWeb
- Antiques and collectibles classifieds and dealer directory; free listings
- Smithsonian Netsuke Collection
- an eGallery featuring netuske at the Freer Gallery of Art/Arthur M. Sackler Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution
- The Carving Path
- The Carving Path Forum welcomes carvers from many disciplines, whose work involves small scale carving. The goal of the forum is to provide a friendly, informative and accessible place for communication and learning. If you create and/or collect netsuke, I think you'll find it very interesting.
- Contemporary Netsuke Exhibit
- Online exhibit of contemporary netsuke at the Museum of Arts and Design. Be sure to view the History of Netsuke and click on the link for the PDF Teachers' Resource Packet as well.
- World Collectors Net
- Netsuke information and discussions at worldcollectorsnet.com
Some netsuke auctions now on eBay
eBay is a good place to get started because you can find everything from antique to modern netsuke and a wide range of prices. In addition to the auctions shown below, you can find more here.
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An Antique Ivory Japanese Netsuke
Antique Ivory Japanese Netsuke - Edo/Meiji Period Zouge
Sterling Sculptures
Tom Sterling, sculptor and netsuke resource
You can view Sterling's netsuke sculptures, see a Netsuke in progress tutorial, and learn more about netuske at his site as well.
Inro
This exploded view of an inro shows the names of the major features, according to Raymond Bushell in The Inro Handbook
An inro is a case for holding small items and is one type of sagemono (see "What Is Netsuke?" above).
Auction catalogs featuring netsuke and/or inro
Auction catalogs are printed in limited numbers and become collectibles virtually right after the auction. These catalogs include netsuke, inro, or related items. If you would like to see a bigger selection, click here.
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- Kateigaho International Edition - Japanese culture, arts, lifestyle magazine
- Kateigaho International Edition is a magazine featuring Japanese culture, arts, and lifestyle.
- Japanese Culture (English)
- A guide to the culture of Japan.
- The Art of Japan
- The Art of Japan explores in detail some of the many aspects of Japanese art, covering diverse topics ranging from the most traditional styles of painting to oddities of architecture.
The site has five distinct sections based on types of Japanese art: origami, architecture, gardens, paintings, and sculpture. Included with each section are multimedia features including photo galleries, puzzles, and quizzes. Browse through this site and explore the world of Japanese art. Don't miss the section about netsuke. - J.E. Berger Foundation
- The Berger Foundation has established a wonderful resource for those interested in the arts. After you reach the page linked to above, you can click on Asia and then Japan to see all of the photographs related to Japanese art. The collection covers all parts of the world, as you'll see from the other links available.
News about Japanese antiques
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Thank you for visiting!
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Silver_Lotus
Thank you for visiting and for your comments. Posted September 14, 2008 |
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Rokusan
This is really very nice. Netsuke are one of those pieces of Japanese culture that highlights their ability to turn a mundane function into a work of art. 5* Posted September 14, 2008 |
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tdove
Thanks for joining G Rated Lense Factory! Posted August 26, 2008 |
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Silver_Lotus
I appreciate your visits and comments - thank you. Click on any photo in the Netsuke Gallery above and you'll be taken to the full-size photo in Flickr. Posted August 19, 2008 |
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spirituality
These are cute. I'd love to see larger pictures of them :) Posted August 19, 2008 |
EXCELLENT SUMMERIZATION OF A GREAT ART FORM.
Posted August 18, 2008
EXCELLENT SUMMERIZATION OF A GREAT ART FORM.
Posted August 18, 2008
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Silver_Lotus
Many thanks. People who start collecting netsuke tend to become addicted! Posted August 10, 2008 |
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RinchenChodron
Great lens ***** - I love the artwork and collection possibilities of netsukes! Posted August 10, 2008 |
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Silver_Lotus
I know that a number of modern netsuke creators outside of Japan use epoxy, but I'm not sure if carvers in Japan are using it. Good question, and thanks for visiting. Posted July 24, 2008 |
