Netsuke
1700-1870 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sash 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 foreigner holding a child to his back.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Ivory |
| Brief description | Netsuke of a foreigner and child, carved ivory; signed Senshu, Japan, 19th century. |
| Physical description | This netsuke is in the form of a foreigner and child, the foreigner wearing a patterned robe loosely worn and tied at the waist with a sash from which hangs a basket for fish, a hat with an upturned brim and leggings, while he carries a fishing rod in his right hand, and a child in a patterned robe is held to the man's back by his left arm, with the child's left arm reaching forward. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Salting Bequest |
| Object history | Bequeathed by Mr. George Salting, accessioned in 1910. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sash 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 foreigner holding a child to his back. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.861-1910 |
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| Record created | May 10, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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