Netsuke in the form of a thwarted rat catcher, carved ivory, signed Masanari(?) or Seikei(?), Japanese, 19th century.

This carved and stained ivory netsuke is in the form of a thwarted rat catcher, who is crouched on the ground and grimacing in frustration; he holds a club in one hand and rests his other hand on a box for the dead rat who scampers away over the catcher's back.

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 hard-wearing. 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 rat-catcher.

People, whether real, imaginary or historical, provided a rich source of inspiration for netsuke carvers. Of particular appeal during the 19th century were depictions of city life, trades and occupations. This example shows a rat-catcher at work, with a rat crawling across his back.