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 to a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated is the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a crouching figure.

From the 18th century onwards, netsuke were increasingly signed by the craftsman. This example is signed Minko no zu (designed by Minko). Tanaka Minko (1735-1816) was the founder of a small group of regional netsuke carvers in Tsu, Ise province. He is known to have produced several netsuke based on illustrations from Soken kisho ('Strange and Wonderful Sword Fittings'), a book published in 1781, of which this netsuke is one. Since the illustration in Soken kisho is annotated with the characters for the word 'actor', it is possible that the subject of this netsuke refers to a play, Kanadehon Chushingura, which was popular at the time. The figure in the book appears to be lying in wait, wearing a straw cape and carrying a gun, the figure here can possibly be identified as the character, Hayano Kanpei. He was a warrior who adopted a simple, rustic lifestyle as a disguise.