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 for attaching 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 with giant mask, signed Ryukei.

The mask on the man's back represents a tengu, a winged man with a bird-like face. On changing into a human the tengu's beak would transform into a very large and very obvious nose, as illustrated on this netsuke. The shape of this netsuke is not very compact and would have been impractical to wear due to its large size. Netsuke had to be small and compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hardwearing. The bulky form and large size of this piece suggests it was used as an okimono ornament.