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.

From the mid 18th century onwards, customers increasingly demanded imaginative and innovative netsuke. Some of these netsuke had hidden or surprise elements, as in this example in the form of a temple bell, around which a dragon is coiled. A trick mechanism allows the bell to open, revealing a young woman dancing inside. This combination of motifs clearly alludes to the story of the Dojoji Temple bell. According to this tale of vengeful female jealousy, Kiyohime, the beautiful young daughter of an innkeeper, fell in love with a priest, Anchin, who scorned her persistent advances. The furious Kiyohime first transformed herself into a witch, then a dragon. When Anchin took refuge under the great bronze bell of the temple, she used her magical powers to force the bell to crash to the ground, trapping Anchin inside. At this, she coiled herself round the bell, creating such an intense heat that Anchin was burned to death.