Netsuke, wood carved with comic mask
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
mid-19th century
The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. 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 comic mask, signed Hojitsu-o. This type of mask would have appeared during the comic interludes of a No drama called Kyogen .
These comic plays contained elements of both satire and slapstick and were held for around ten minutes using a collection of familiar masked characters.
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 4.6 cm
- Materials and techniques
- Carved wood
Technical characteristics
- Place recorded
- Japan
Identification
- Candidate id
- vam-O229727
- Museum object number
- A.63-1919
- 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.