Netsuke of two children playing around a screen, signed Masakatsu, Japan, 1860-1899

Netsuke of two cildren playing around a screen which is decorated in relief with peonies and rocks, with one child standing and peering round from one side to the other and wearing a demon mask, while the child on the other side crouches on the ground covering his head in terror; the head and front of his body can clearly be seen from the underside of the netsuke.

The netsuke is made from carved and lightly stained wood and the means for attaching the cord are provided by natural openings in the design. In this example, there are a pair of holes ( himotoshi ) on the underside of the screen's frame. Although netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated is the katabori (shape carving), a three- dimensional carving, such as this example. It can be appreciated fully in the round, as from the bottom of the netsuke the frightened face of the hiding child can ingeniously be seen.

This example is signed Masakatsu for the carver Suzuki Masakatsu (1840-1899).