Netsuke
Artist
Maker unknown
(Japanese)
Date19th Century
MediumCarved ivory
DimensionsOverall: 2 3/8in. (6cm)
ClassificationsPERSONAL ARTIFACTS
Credit LineGift of Neilson and Joseph Rudd in memory of Thomas Brown Rudd and Helen Neilson Rudd
Terms
Object number66.33
DescriptionKatabori style netsuke of a man dancing with fan and bells; wearing a lacquered hat; head moves; signed by artist in red inlay on hat.On View
Not on viewCollections
Copyright<a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc/4.0/80x15.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License</a>.
Label TextNetsuke were invented in seventeenth century Japan as a type of decorative fastener. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their obi sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hardwearing. Above all, they had to have the means by which to attach a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a man.
