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Artist/Maker
Unknown artist, Japanese
Date19th century
MediumCarved wood
DimensionsOverall: 1 3/4 × 2 1/4 in. (4.4 × 5.7 cm)
Credit LineGift of Robert S. Wolfe, Class of 1967
Object number1992.17.2
Not 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 wood with two rats on a shell and two holes for stringing.
Collections
Additional Details
Unknown artist, Japanese
Date: 20th century
Medium: Carved boxwood
Object number: 1992.12
Unknown artist, Japanese
Date: possibly 19th century
Medium: Tagua nut
Object number: 1992.11
Unknown artist, Japanese
Date: 19th century
Medium: Boxwood, mother-of-pearl
Object number: 1992.13
Unknown artist, Japanese
Date: 19th century
Medium: Ivory, wood, metal
Object number: 1992.14
Thomas Nast
Date: published November 7, 1874
Medium: Wood engraving on newsprint
Object number: 2019.13.259
Unknown artist, Japanese
Date: 20th century
Medium: Carved boxwood
Object number: 1992.17.1
Thomas Nast
Date: published November 6, 1875
Medium: Wood engraving on newsprint
Object number: 2019.13.297
Hugh Hanara
Date: 2005
Medium: Carved Rimu wood with pāua shell inlay
Object number: 2024.4