The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their 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 of attaching the cord. Although netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated is the katabori (shape carving). This is a three-dimensional carving, such as this one.
This example is signed 'carved by Namie Tomiharu of Iwami province'. Craftsmen in Iwami province produced some of the most distinctive netsuke outside the main urban centres. The region was poor and isolated. These factors influenced both the materials and the subject-matter of the netsuke. Makers often used designs of humble animals, such as a frog. Namie Tomiharu was the leading figure of the five main netsukeshi (netsuke masters) who worked in Iwami. He excelled in netsuke made of boar's tusk. This example is of ebony and shows one of his favourite subjects - the tree-frog on a branch or leaf.