As an artwork, netsuke are unique to Japan where, from the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries,
As an artwork, netsuke are unique to Japan where, from the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries, they were worn as a part of the traditional Japanese clothing, the kimono. Because kimono have no pockets, small objects were carried in boxes, called sagemono (literally, “hanging object”). Sagemono took many forms: inro were lacquered cases for cosmetics, medicines, or seals, kinchaku were money cases, and tabako-ire were tobacco cases. The sagemono were suspended from a cord passed behind the obi, the sash holding the kimono closed. The netsuke served as the counterweight, attached to the other end of the cord, thereby preventing the sagemono from falling through the obi. The sagemono in the image is an inro made by the famous seventeenth century lacquer artist Ritsuou. Japanese lacquer work is unique in Asia, involving the sprinkling of gold and silver powder onto the surface. Lacquer art was extremely difficult; one inro could take years to be completed. The inro on the left (11 x 8 cm) displays a falcon tied to a perch shaped as a demon’s head. Text and image via Psych Dept, University of Alberta, Canada -- source link
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