Chinese legend provided endless material for Japanese artists and craftsmen. Kanyū was a Chinese general whose exploits are described in the classic 'Tale of Three Kingdoms'. He came to be regarded as the God of War. Even this small figure conveys the power of the god-general with his fierce expression, impressive beard and ornate Chinese-style robes. He carries a glaive with a long curved blade in his right hand. Netsuke of this type appear in the Sōken Kishō , the only early gu
The skill and imagination of the best of the early netsuke carvers in ivory produced many exquisite and quite unique objects. Nonetheless they still served a useful purpose. We can imagine some serious-minded merchant going about his business with this grotesquely humorous creature - with its long snout and tusks, stumpy body, and snake-like neck and tail - dangling at his belt. Netsuke of this type appear in the Sōken Kishō , the earliest authoritative guide to the subject (and also
Sennin were immortals from Chinese legend. They are often thin and haggard in appearance. This figure's ribs stand out clearly below his wispy beard. Generally speaking it is difficult to identify individual characters among the sennin , unless they display recognizable attributes. Netsuke of this type appear in the Sōken Kishō , the earliest authoritative guide to the subject (and also to inrō , purses and sword furniture), published in woodblock-printed book form in Osaka, 1781
The illusion of palaces in the bubbles of the clam's breath illustrates the impermanence of the illusory world. This is a typical subject for the netsuke carver Kagetoshi.
Subjects for netsuke became more and more diverse as the Edo period progressed. All kinds of insects, as well as spiders, were a popular subject. Here a perfectly carved wasp alights on the nest. This is one of The British Museum's group of wooden netsuke signed by Toyomasa. Two others are depictions of Handaka Sonja, one of the sixteen disciples of the Buddha, called rakan . One of them, only 3.8 cm high, shows him emerging from his own gourd.
Netsuke subjects are often taken from the natural world. This piece was carved by Hōjitsu (died 1872), a vassal of the Tokugawa shogunate who also enjoyed the patronage of the daimyō of Tsugaru. Hōjitsu was a very skilled artist in ivory and boxwood and was recognized as the best carver in Tokyo (Edo) in his day. He is best-known for his graceful and elegant figures influenced by the artist Hanabusa Itchō (1652-1724).
The tiny sleeping rat, with its perfectly carved feet was probably given as a gift for someone born in the Year of the Rat, or worn during the Year of the Rat. The Japanese borrowed the Chinese custom of grouping years into cycles of twelve years. Each year was dedicated to a particular animal which gave its characteristics to people born in its year. 'Rats' were traditionally thought of as happy-go-lucky, adventurous types, very attached to their family. The animals of the Asian zodiac were ver
This netsuke by Bokugyūken Toshiharu shows the influence of the Iwami Province carvers (part of modern Shimane Prefecture). See, for example, the netsuke of the pea-pod with ants. Another netsuke on the same subject was carved by the Iwami artist Kamman. Wild boar roamed freely through the forests of Japan, and their tusks were often used as a substitute for elephant ivory which was expensive and difficult to obtain.
Dōjōji , is a Nō drama which tells of the passion of a young girl, Kiyohime, for the monk Anchin. He hid from her under a temple bell. She turned into a dragon, coiled around the bell and fried him with the heat of her passion. The white-tinted face of Anchin can be seen through a crack in the bell. This netsuke is signed Kōnan Minkō.
Chao Lu Sheng (Japanese: Rōsei) was a character of Chinese fable taken up by many artists in Japan, including the famous Hokusai in his Manga . Rōsei dreamed of fame and wealth, and awoke to realize the impermanence of things. The netsuke is minutely carved showing a palace of several storeys with many tiny figures among whom Rōsei lies asleep. This is one of a group of netsuke by Kagetoshi (died around 1843). He is thought to have lived in Nagoya, where he made work very differen