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 Kan’u, a Chinese general and God of War. Kan’u (Chinese, ‘Guanyu’) was originally a hero of the Chinese Three Kingdoms period (2nd-3rd centuries AD). He is frequently shown with a long beard, in Chinese dress and holding a long halberd.

The most widely used materials for making netsuke were traditionally wood or ivory. Since trees grow abundantly throughout Japan, wood is readily available and many varieties are comparatively cheap. There is also a long tradition of expertise in woodcarving in Japan. The small size of netsuke, however, often makes identification of the wood used impossible, as in this example.