What is netsuke?
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
- Hiromitsu Japan
- Hiromitsu Japan sells netsuke and other Japanese antiques. Looking at their selection is a real treat!
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.
Splendors of Imperial Japan: Arts of the Meiji Period From the Khalili Collection
beyond netsuke
Splendors of Imperial Japan: Arts of the Meiji Period From the Khalili Collection (Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Japanese Art)
Amazon Price: $100.00 (as of 07/05/2009)
List Price: $100.00
Used Price: $62.99
A fascinating and interesting book that sheds light on Japan's artistic traditions during the Meiji period (1868 - 1912). While Japan was becoming a constitutional nation-state, developing a modern industrial infrastructure, and winning wars against China and Russia, its leaders preserved and nurtured their country's art traditions.
During this time Japan's artists and artisans created works whose beauty and quality astonished the nations of the civilized world. Netsuke were among these incredible creations.
Author Joe Earle chairs the Department of Art of Asia, Oceania & Africa at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. He's the author of Netsuke (see the first book in the Amazon module above) and has written or contributed to a number of books about Japan and Japanese art and history.
more about netsuke on YouTube
News about Japanese antiques
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Thank you for visiting!
California_Dreamin wrote...
Beautiful lens. The detail work of Japanese handicrafts is so impressive isn't it?
Posted April 13, 2009
mbrownauthor wrote...
Very interesting. This is a welcomed addition to the group, "Everything Vntage!"
Posted April 09, 2009
nekoneko wrote...
wow.. this is the first time i'm seeing it :D thanks for visiuting my japanese garden lens!
Posted March 24, 2009
Silver_Lotus wrote...
They are wonderful, aren't they! Thank you for visiting.
Posted February 26, 2009
Jimmie wrote...
These are new to me. What a beautiful, tiny thing to collect.
Posted February 26, 2009
Rokusan wrote...
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
