Netsuke in the form of a coiled dragon, carved ivory; Japan, ca.1775-1850.
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1775-1850
This carved and stained ivory netsuke is in the form of a coiled dragon, with a prominent face and open mouth revealing its teeth. The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord.
The great popularity of the dragon as a netsuke subject is also connected to its being one of the 12 animals of the East Asian zodiac, which derives from Chinese cosmology. In a recurring cycle, each animal is assigned to a year in a specific order. The traditional order is: rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, cock, dog and boar. A netsuke portraying any of these animals was particularly associated with the New Year festivities of the appropriate year.
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
- Length 1.75 cm
- Materials and techniques
- Carved and stained ivory
Technical characteristics
- Place recorded
- Japan
Identification
- Candidate id
- vam-O40235
- Museum object number
- 411-1904
- 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.