Netsuke Depicting a Man

Netsuke Depicting a Man is held by Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe (Germany). Description supplied by the holding institution: The netsuke or simple button features a bowl made of hardwood and an inlaid metal plate.

On a black ground, a man with a fan and a golden hat is presented with copper and brass inlays. Behind him, the depiction opens to a view of a birdhouse and writing. This piece probably belongs to the early round type of so-called "manjû-netsuke", from which the "kagamibuta-netsuke" developed (cf. Inv. No. A 8029). A "netsuke" (pronounced: netske) is a toggle with two holes for the cord. It was loosely attached to the Japanese obi (= belt) as a counterweight to a so-called "inro" and was thus part of the traditional Japanese dress belonging to the kimono.

In the accompanying pouch, the inro, wealthy merchants, artists, and craftsmen carried their seal, ink pad, and later also their medicine. With their design, netsuke frequently reference poetry and mythology… The collection record gives measurements diameter: 3.4 cm (image surface); height: 1.35 cm, diameter: 3.9 cm (total). Published through Europeana; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.