Not currently on display at the V&A

Netsuke

ca. 1800-1850 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

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 were made in a variety of forms, this one being an example of the manju type, named after a kind of rounded, sweet dumpling filled with bean paste that it loosely resembles in shape. The compact forms of manju netsuke made them ideal for wearing next to the body. They were either solid or consisted of two pieces, generally in the form of hollowed-out halves, as in this example. The suspension cords passed through a hole drilled in the middle of the back and were then attached to a ring on the inside of the upper half.

This netsuke is made from wood covered with lacquer. Lacquer is the sap from the tree Rhus verniciflua, which grows mainly in East Asia. After processing, it is applied in many thin layers to a base material. The craft of lacquering is highly complex, time-consuming and expensive. This netsuke is decorated with scrolls and geometric designs characteristic of lacquerware of the type known as ‘kimma’ - a painting and engraving technique that originated in Thailand.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Oriental lacquer
Brief description
Manju netsuke, scrolls and geometric designs, wood covered in red, gold and black lacquer, ca. 1800 - 1850
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 4.1cm
Style
Credit line
Sage Memorial Gift
Subjects depicted
Summary
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 were made in a variety of forms, this one being an example of the manju type, named after a kind of rounded, sweet dumpling filled with bean paste that it loosely resembles in shape. The compact forms of manju netsuke made them ideal for wearing next to the body. They were either solid or consisted of two pieces, generally in the form of hollowed-out halves, as in this example. The suspension cords passed through a hole drilled in the middle of the back and were then attached to a ring on the inside of the upper half.

This netsuke is made from wood covered with lacquer. Lacquer is the sap from the tree Rhus verniciflua, which grows mainly in East Asia. After processing, it is applied in many thin layers to a base material. The craft of lacquering is highly complex, time-consuming and expensive. This netsuke is decorated with scrolls and geometric designs characteristic of lacquerware of the type known as ‘kimma’ - a painting and engraving technique that originated in Thailand.
Collection
Accession number
W.192A-1921

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Record createdJanuary 8, 2004
Record URL
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