Netsuke, ivory carved with a dragon coiled round a dead tree, Japan, 18th century.
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
18th century
This carved ivory netsuke is in the form of a dragon coiled round a dead tree. The netsuke is a toggle. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job.
They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hardwearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a dragon coiled round a dead tree. This netsuke depicts two of the three imperial regalia of Japan. In the dragon's front claw and tail are the sword and the jewel but the depiction lacks the third imperial item, the mirror.
In Japanese mythology the sword was discovered in a dragon's tail by the storm-god Susanoo. The hollow trunk of the tree in this netsuke is ideal to pass through the cord to attach the object to the inro.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Dimensions
- Height 10.1 cm
- Materials and techniques
- Carved ivory
Technical characteristics
- Place recorded
- Japan
Identification
- Candidate id
- vam-O228606
- Museum object number
- A.924-1910
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked single-object source. Wider type attribution and authenticity have not been independently verified.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type and source attribution against specialist references.