with shakudo plate cast and inlaid with Shoki examining his sword, signed Katsunori;

a kagamibuta, the ivory bowl with shibuichi plate, inlaid in high relief with Benkei reading the Kanchinko letter in gold, silver, copper, signed Hiroaki

Buddhist Art Collections in Bronze, Wood and Stone

Nineteenth century

MEIJI PERIOD (LATE 19TH CENTURY), PLATE SIGNED NATSUO (KANO NATSUO; 1828-1898)

Netsuke of an octopus catching a fisherman, ivory bowl, shibuichi metal and gold disc, signed Shuraku, ca. 1850-1900

Netsuke of The Three Wine Tasters (Confucious, Buddha, Laozi). 19th century Japan. The Met Museum.

having an ivory bowl and shibuichi plate, engraved with a woman with a washing basket beside tall plants, signed Shuraku with kao

In the design by metal engraver Minkoku (c. 1833-1909), the sleeping man’s face has been engraved into the silver leaf inlay that constitutes Rosei’s fan. Maidstone Museum. England.

Cast and carved in high relief and finished in shibuichi and gold nunome with the face of a Nio guardian, gilt highlights, signed Yoshinori

Hi, Just finished this one and have sent it off to an exhibition. It is a kagamibuta or manju style netsuke. Pernambuco and mammoth tusk, with yashabushi stain. 4.1 cm diameter 1.6 cm deep

Netsuke, the toggles once used to attach pouches or cases to kimono sashes, have become increasingly valued during the last fifty years. Much care was given to the carving of these small, utilitarian objects, and many of them are astonishing examples of the sculptor's skill. Barbra Teri Okada, a leading authority on netsuke, has chosen 100 of the finest of these sculptures from the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Each piece is illustrated and discussed in detail; techniques are explained, rich religious and historical allusions are explored, and elements of parody, satire, and parable are pointed out. The author identifies the heroes, Buddhist and Taoist saints, and characters from folklore and myth who are frequently represented in netsuke. Animals, real and fantastic, are presented, and the twelve zodiac animals, so significant in Japanese astrology, are carefully described. The less common manju netsuke—kagamibuta and ryusa—are included, and mask netsuke, which are derived from Japanese drama, are given special attention. The major artists—among them Tomotada, Minko, Toyomasa, Ohara Mitsuhiro, Masatsugu Kaigyokusai, and Joso—and the most important schools are assessed; the author's acute judgments will benefit both the expert and the novice. Those who already have an interest in netsuke will welcome this opportunity to study these seldom-exhibited objects. Those unfamiliar with this uniquely Japanese form will be delighted by these small works, which demonstrate so well that artistic energy and interest are not dependent on size.

19th century. The bowl of ivory, the discs of shibuichi with a) Empress Jingo Kogo and her advisor in iroe takazogan. Signed: Shuraku with kao

Ivory netsuke. Cat licking its paw.

Until the 19th century all Japanese citizens wore a kimono, fastened by an obi sash. Small personal items such as purses, pipes or medicine containers were hung from the sash by silk cords. The cord was threaded through a bead, or ojime, then tucked behind the kimono sash and secured with a small ornamental toggle or counterweight called a netsuke.