Netsuke in ebony of a Chinese landscape

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 of attaching the cord. In this example, there are a pair of holes ( himotoshi ) on the bottom of the sandal. Although netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated is the katabori (shape carving). This is a three-dimensional carving, such as this netsuke of a Chinese landscape.

This netsuke is quite scholarly in its subject matter as it depicts figures in Chinese dress playing chess. The design is based on the Nanga school (southern painting) of scholar-painters who admired Chinese culture. Many artists were inspired by the new motifs and techniques introduced from Chinese through printed books and paintings. During the mid 18 th century regional schools of Chinese culture had been established throughout Japan.

Merchants and the elite studied subjects like Chinese literature, poetry and music.