An immortal monk wrestling an octopus. A hare with amber eyes. A fox crouched on top of a skull. These are all examples of netsuke — tiny, intricately-carved toggles that were a crucial part of menswear during the Edo period (1603-1868).
Netsuke were part of an ensemble of accessories required for carrying small objects such as tobacco pouches or inrō (compartmented lacquer boxes). The item in question was suspended from a cord that passed through an ojime (sliding bead) — think of tighteners the cords on hiking backpacks. The wearer would thread this cord through the netsuke and knot it before passing the cord underneath the sash. The netsuke would peek out from the top of the sash, with the object hanging securely below.
Such toggles are often found in cultures where outer garments are tied with belts or sashes, and where regular clothes don’t make provisions for pockets. For example, similar toggles are used for carrying tinder boxes in Mongolia, or hunting knives in Hungary. While women did eventually adopt netsuke, they were primarily used by men. Women could tuck small objects into their kimono sleeves, which were sewn up, but the sleeves for men’s kimono were left open and unsewn.
Early netsuke were fairly simple and most likely consisted of found objects like stones or chunks of wood. However, netsuke were particularly fertile ground for artistic expression, evolving into a distinctive art form in its own right. Since kimono are not typically worn as everyday dress today, netsuke have become collectors’ items. I sometimes think of netsuke as a kind of analogue to modern gachapon toys (capsule toys) — which tap into the same cultural love for miniature baubles, but without the utility of the former.
The criteria for netsuke
Because of their specific function and requirements, the netsuke sculptor had to work with a number of constraints. These are best described by Raymond Bushnell as follows:
“The netsuke must be diminutive in size. It must be sufficiently strong and sturdy to support the weight of the inro, pouch, or purse, and to withstand the rigors of daily wear. It must be designed so that the overall shape is smooth and rounded; no jutting parts or appendages are permitted that might break off or tear a kimono sleeve. As the netsuke is expected to be handled and admired and to be turned this way and that, it must be finished on all sides, including the bottom. Lastly, a cord must be attached to the netsuke, usually through holes. The holes must be drilled so that they do not mar the design, and they must be placed so that the netsuke hangs naturally and with the face or best side visible.“
Even so, netsuke are marvellously varied in style, material, and subject matter. There were sculptors who specialised in netsuke, but potters, lacquerers, metal artists, and mask carvers also produced netsuke on the side. Netsuke became a sophisticated art form over time. The vast majority were carved from staghorn, ivory, and wood. Ivory from elephant, walrus, and narwhal was used; hornbill ivory was rare. Cypress, ebony, cherry, pine, and bamboo were popular choices for wooden netsuke. The rarest were made from materials like coral, mother-of-pearl, jade, and metal.
The most prevalent form of netsuke are small sculptures known as “katabori,” or “carving on all sides.” Other common types included the sashi, a long and narrow netsuke with openings at the top that one would slide behind the sash; and manju, a thick, flat, round style of netsuke so named for its resemblance to a dumpling filled with bean paste. Netsuke were as varied as their users. Large, heavy netsuke were suitable for farmers, but merchants who carried brocade tobacco pouches required light, elegant netsuke to match.
What kind of subjects did netsuke portray? The possibilities were unlimited. Edo-period sumptuary and censorship laws targeted printed materials and fashion, but netsuke were considered unimportant and there were no laws regulating them. As such, these exquisite carvings encompassed almost every facet of Japanese life and culture, including the humorous, subversive, and erotic. Scenes from Chinese and Japanese legends were popular subjects, as were animals from the zodiac. Supernatural beings; real and imaginary beasts; insects and flowers; heroes and villains; habits and customs from bathing to stone-cutting — no subject was too vulgar or rarefied for netsuke.
A history of netsuke
Hanging objects off belts and sashes is an age-old practice; the earliest mention of something resembling netsuke can be found in the Kojiki, an eighth-century chronicle of myths and oral traditions. Netsuke as we know them came into use during the 16th century. Men from the samurai class were the first to wear them, using netsuke as counterweights for carrying inrō.
However, the major catalyst for mass netsuke adoption was the spread of tobacco and smoking at the start of the 17th century, after the Portuguese introduced tobacco to Japan. The government issued an edict banning the use of tobacco in 1609, but repealed this law in 1716 in the hope that tobacco production would help stimulate the economy. As a result, pipe-smoking became a national craze and an integral part of business transactions. Many Japanese men began to carry tobacco pouches, pipe cases, and lighting devices, which led to a corresponding rise in the demand and production of netsuke.
Earlier netsuke tend to exude spontaneity and originality. Unlike, say, painting or pottery, netsuke-making was not an established art form, so there were no existing traditions to conform to in its early days, allowing for a great deal of creativity and artistic license. Early netsuke from the 17th and 18th centuries show Chinese influences, with a strong regional character. Netsuke made in Kyoto tended to be dignified and restrained in character; those from Osaka reflected the vitality of a bustling city. In the 18th and 19th centuries in Nagoya, Gifu, and Ise areas, animal subjects and seasonal motifs predominated. Tokyo carvers tended to portray ordinary people or scenes from everyday life.
The first half of the 19th century witnessed the golden age of netsuke sculpting, in response to tremendous demand from the newly rich merchant class. But opening up to the West in 1859 marked the start of netsuke’s slow decline. The demand for netsuke fell as the Japanese adopted Western dress. Cigarettes replaced loose tobacco and small-bowl pipes. The 1870s to the 1890s saw a revival of netsuke as European collectors encountered and became enamoured with netsuke; some insight into this can be found in Edmund de Waal’s memoir The Hare with the Amber Eyes. Fine netsuke continued to be made in small quantities through to the 1920s and 1930s for wealthy customers and dealers. However, this only slowed the netsuke’s eventual demise as an everyday item of utility.
The allure of netsuke
One of the great charms of netsuke is what they tell us about the kinds of subjects that people were interested in, from the weird to the mundane — which again parallel the staggering variety of strange objects found in capsule machines. It is an artform that captures the spirit of everyday Japanese life as it was a few centuries ago. For the collector today, an added charm of old netsuke is the smooth, lustrous patina of time that comes from generations of loving use. Beyond all this, however, the allure of small, beautiful things remains a universal constant. Even today, these handcrafted objects are well worth paying attention to.
Written by Florentyna Leow
Sources and further reading
Bushell, Raymond. Introduction to Netsuke. United States: Tuttle Publishing, 2011.
Earle, Joe. Netsuke: Fantasy and Reality in Japanese Miniature Sculpture. United States: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 2004.
Okada, Barbra Teri. Netsuke: Masterpieces from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. United States: The Museum, 1982.
Symmes, Edwin C.. Netsuke: Japanese Life and Legend in Miniature. United States: Tuttle Publishing, 2013.