The Nippon Club Special Exhibition "Elegant Creatures: Insects, Reptiles, and crustaceans in Japanese art"

About the work

"Netsuke" is a fastening device to prevent slipping worn by samurai and townspeople in the Edo period when hanging drawstrings, cigarette holders, inro, etc., on obi. Netsuke was a practical item, but gradually it became more elaborate in artistry and carving, and the elements of stylish men's ornaments and accessories became stronger.

In contrast to the use of ivory in the Kanto region, Ise netsuke is characterized by the use of boxwood trees, which are also made of boxwood trees from Asakuma, which has a dense and woody tissue called "wooden gems." The fact that there are many frogs (toads, toads) in the subject matter is a pun that is typical of the land of the shrine, such as "to attract customers" and "to return safely." The inscription of Masanao belongs to the Ise Suzuki Masanao school, which made a name for itself at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate and Meiji era.

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