Netsuke of an octopus caught in a trap
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1825-1875
This carved and stained ivory netsuke is in the form of an octopus caught in an octopus trap. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job.
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 an octopus caught in a trap. Ohara Mitsuhiro (1810-1875) and Kaigyokusai Masatsugu (1813-1892) were the two greatest 19th-century netsuke carvers from Osaka, a centre of netsuke making. It depicts an octopus trap covered in limpets. An octopus is already inside the trap, though it cannot immediately be seen by wearers or viewers, who get a surprise when they turn it over.
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 27 mm; Width 42 mm; Depth 49 mm
- Materials and techniques
- Carved and stained ivory
Technical characteristics
- Place recorded
- Japan
Identification
- Candidate id
- vam-O90655
- Museum object number
- A.55-1919
- 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.