A netsuke is a small Japanese carved toggle, used to secure objects hung from the sash, or obi, of a kimono. Because traditional Japanese dress had no pockets, men carried items such as inro, tobacco pouches and pipe cases suspended on a cord, and the netsuke held the cord in place above the sash.
Netsuke flourished during the Edo period, from the seventeenth to the mid-nineteenth century, and developed into a sophisticated art form in miniature. They were carved from ivory, boxwood and other woods, horn, lacquer, metal and ceramic, and depict an enormous range of subjects, including animals, the zodiac, mythological figures, everyday characters and folk tales. Main types include katabori, carved figures in the round; manju, flat disc shapes; and kagamibuta, with a metal lid set into a bowl. A working netsuke has cord holes, known as himotoshi, which some later export pieces lack. Many netsuke are signed, though signatures were often copied. Collectors prize fine carving, a smooth, worn patina from handling and compact forms without fragile projections. The trade in ivory is now tightly restricted in the UK and many other countries, so ivory netsuke require careful legal checks before sale.
