Skip to main content
Artist/Maker
Unknown artist, Japanese
Datepossibly 19th century
MediumTagua nut
DimensionsOverall: 1 3/8 × 1 5/8 in. (3.5 × 4.1 cm)
Credit LineGift of Robert S. Wolfe, Class of 1967
Object number1992.11
On view
DescriptionThe word netsuke is formed using the symbol ne (根) meaning “root" and tsuke (付) meaning “attach.” The first netsuke were created in late sixteenth-century Japan as simple button fasteners for pouches and other containers that were hung on the sash (obi 帯) of a kimono. As time progressed, the carving of these small figures became increasingly intricate as netsuke transformed from purely functional objects into fashionable indicators of status. Netsuke commonly depict imagery from nature, myth, and Japanese history. Beginning in the late nineteenth century, netsuke also became a popular type of collectible in the West.
Netsuke carved lotus blossom from tagua nut with two holes in the back for stringing.
Additional Details
Unknown artist, Japanese
Date: 19th century
Medium: Carved wood
Object number: 1992.17.2
Unknown artist, Japanese
Date: 19th century
Medium: Boxwood, mother-of-pearl
Object number: 1992.13
Unknown artist, Japanese
Date: 20th century
Medium: Carved boxwood
Object number: 1992.12
Unknown artist, Japanese
Date: 19th century
Medium: Ivory, wood, metal
Object number: 1992.14
Unknown artist, Japanese
Date: 20th century
Medium: Carved boxwood
Object number: 1992.17.1
Hugh Hanara
Date: 2005
Medium: Carved Rimu wood with pāua shell inlay
Object number: 2024.4
Lorna Simpson
Date: 1996
Medium: Portfolio of 21 photogravures with text printed on 30C (300 lbs.) Somerset paper.
Object number: 2016.11a-u