A SPECIAL EXHIBITION OF FINE JAPANESE NETSUKE

We are pleased to present a selection of fine Japanese netsuke in ivory and wood. The exhibition does not focus on quantity, but rather on the quality of the pieces offered here for sale.

There has been many introduction on netsuke written and we thought a new one would not be necessary. The following introduction was written by Makiko Komada, a young Japanese lady with a great passion for netsuke. Her love for netsuke is born from her family since she is the daughter of Master carver Ryushi. Ms. Komada has created a website devoted to the appreciation of netsuke, which can be visited at the following link: http://www.cc.rim.or.jp/~komada/.

We also invite you to visit the site of the International Netsuke Society which comprises

netsuke and sagemono collectors from all around the world. The International Netsuke Society is devoted to the study and collection of netsuke and related sagemono art forms. Membership in the society, founded in 1975, includes a subscription to its quarterly, 60-page, color, illustrated magazine, the International Netsuke Society Journal. Among the other Society activities are a biennial convention held in the United States and local chapter meetings in the United States, Japan and Europe. There are over 625 society members living in 31 different countries. The Society's website is www.netsuke.org.

What is a Netsuke?

Japanese people used to hang their everyday articles such as small money pouches, tobacco pouches, and seal or medicine cases (inro) from their sash or belt (obi), because the Japanese traditional garment (kimono) has no pockets. To prevent it from falling to the ground, the hanging object(s) (collectively called sagemono) was attached to a small toggle with a cord. This toggle is called netsuke.

In general, the netsuke has the following physical characteristics or requirements:

- To serve as a toggle attached to hanging objects, it has a hole or a channel (himotoshi) to put the cord through.

- To be worn as an accessory or held in hands, it doesn't (or shouldn't) have parts that can easily be broken or might catch the garment.

- To be worn at the waist, it is comparatively small. It is generally about as large as you can hold in your hand, but it could be a bit smaller or larger than that.

In early times, netsuke flourished as a part of the ensemble with a small pouch and/or an inro and cord-tightening bead (ojime). Nowadays, many netsuke are exhibited, traded, collected as independent objects, but they were originally attached to sagemono, some sets of which you might also see in museums, private collections, galleries, and publications.

History of Netsuke

It is not clear as to when netsuke came into use, but some netsuke are depicted in paintings from around the beginning of the 17th century, suggesting that the netsuke was already in use by then.

Though the first netsuke were probably simple pieces of wood or whatever was useful as a toggle, it developed into a craft art with great artistry and playful ideas through the Edo period (i.e., from the early 17th century through the mid 19th century). Netsuke in a considerably wide range of subjects and materials were made by thousands of artists; early craftsmen specializing in other fields such as metalwork or sculpture and made netsuke as a hobby, while many of the later carvers devoted all their career to netsuke production.

However, around the mid 19th century, the popularity of netsuke started to wane due to the changes in fashion and cultural situations but a relatively small number of netsuke artists continued to create netsuke of high standard through the mid 20th century.

From the mid 19th century onwards, westerners became interested in netsuke. A large quantity of those miniature carvings began to be exported to the West. Since then, netsuke have been actively traded, collected, and studied by westerners, while they attracted little attention of the majority of Japanese people.

Netsuke made until about that time are called "antique netsuke," while those carved later are referred to as "contemporary netsuke." This latter term means more than just "netsuke made in modern time": some western collectors and dealers have encouraged Japanese artists to create netsuke with their original ideas and modern sense, not just to imitate antique pieces. Recently, the number of netsuke artists have been growing in Japan, and in other countries as well, and there are approximately one hundred Japanese and non-Japanese artists whose works regularly appear in sales and exhibitions.

Today, the netsuke, both antique and contemporary, is internationally appreciated as a unique and fascinating art form. At present, it might still be better known in the West, but there is a growing interest among the Japanese (some Japanese actually carry netsuke by attaching them to their cell phones).

The netsuke is still evolving, and you can explore this exciting art form by just looking at them, holding them in your hand to enjoy the feel, collecting them, studying them, and even carving them!