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 hard-wearing. 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 rocky landscape with a house perched on top.

Although aspects of the natural world were commonly portrayed as netsuke subjects, netsuke in the form of a landscape were comparatively rare. This was partly for obvious reasons of size and partly because, in order to appear realistic, such netsuke generally required a large base, which did not lie comfortably against the body. By depicting a house perched on a rocky landscape, this particular example emphasises height rather than width. It is carved from ebony, an imported wood.