Netsuke

Netsuke is a decorative toggle-like item often made by carving ivory. Antique and vintage netsuke at auction depicts a range of themes, including historic tales, creatures, flora and fauna, and much more. Antique and vintage netsukes at online auction are sought after by several collectors.  A netsuke, a miniature artwork, was developed as an art in Japan over the last three centuries. Its style ranges from abstract to realistic. 

In the Tokugawa era, netsukes were not only miniature works of art but also an essential piece of clothing. Unlike women’s kimonos, men’s kimonos lacked pockets. Netsuke was made to secure tobacco pouches, pipes, and medicine boxes.

Originally sculpted from boxwood, netsukes were created from different types of ivory in the early 1700s. In the late 1700s, netsuke producers developed a technique called inlaying. The method involves inserting coral, ivory, horn, as well as other metals on shallow surfaces of wood or lacquer. After the end of the Tokugawa era, a new attire system was introduced, leading netsukes to become obsolete. Only a few were carved to meet the demand of international tourists. 

Netsukes Quick facts:

• These toggles were first adorned in the Edo Period in Japan in the 1600s, and they drew the attention of European tourists in the 1800s.

• It is meant to hold a medicinal box, pipe, or tobacco purse fastened to a Japanese person's traditional dress's obi.