| Netsuke ('netskei) is a small carving usually made from wood or ivory and originally developed in Japan. This form of small sculpture served as toggle in Japan for over a period of more than three hundred years, for both functional and aesthetic purposes. Kimono, the traditional form of Japanese dress, had no pockets. Women could tuck small personal items into their sleeves, but men suspended their tobacco wallets etc., on a silk cord, from their obi (sash). These hanging objects are called sagemono. To stop the cord from slipping through the obi, a small toggle was attached. This toggle is called netsuke (approx. 2inches). A sliding bead (ojime, approx. 1inch) 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, lacqu | ||
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| Netsuke
by Joe Earle $26.60 | Japanese Netsuke
by Julia Hutt |
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Wooden Netsuke
