netsuke

How to engage the slide show:

click on the first image on the left of the gallery below, then select the arrow at the bottom left of the enlarged image. Or you can manually go to the next slide by hovering your cursor on the middle right side then clicking the arrow that appears. Hover your cursor on the middle left side then click the arrow that appears to go backwards. Close the slide show or manual show by clicking the X button on the lower right of the image. (The image of each button is followed by an image of that button's back or reverse side.)

Acknowledgments, References and information for this category are at the bottom of this page.

Button Country

An Educational Resource for Button Collectors - originally created by Paul Rice

Div. IV Section 7 : Netsuke

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Wood
Metal Shank (1-1/2" x 1-3/8")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Ivory (1-3/4" x 7/8")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Ivory (1-3/4" x 3/4")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Ivory (1-3/4" x 1-1/4")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Bone
Moveable Face (2" x 1-1/8")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Bone
Moveable Eyes (1-1/2" x 7/8")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Bone (1-1/2" x 1-1/4")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Dyed Bone (2" x 2")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Bone-Horn top - Lacquered Wood (2")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Bone
Five heads (1-1/2" x 1")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Bone (1-3/4" x 1-1/8")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Bone
Seven heads (1-1/2" x 1-1/2")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Bone
Catfish (2-1/4 x 2-1/4")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Ivory (1-1/2" x 3/4")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Bronze (1-5/8")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Ivory (1-1/2" x 7/8")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Ivory (1-1/2")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Bone (1-5/8 x 1-1/4")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Ivory (1-1/2" x 1")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Ivory (1-1/4" x 1")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Ivory (1-5/8 x 1-1/4")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Ivory (1-1/4 x 7/8")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Ivory (1-5/8 x 1-1/8")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Wood (2-1/2 x 1-1/4")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Wood (1-3/4 x 1-1/4")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Wood (1-3/4")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Wood (1-1/4 x 7/8")

7-1 Specific Types - Katabori - Wood (1-1/4")

7-1 Specific Types - Anabori (Subset of Katabori) - Hollow carved out center, Often clamshell motif - Ivory (1-1/2" x 1")

7-1 Specific Types - Sashi - Ivory (4")

7-1 Specific Types - Manju - Horn
Shape (1-1/2x1-3/8")

7-1 Specific Types - Manju - Ivory
Two piece - Plain (1-1/2")

7-1 Specific Types - Manju - Wood
Lacquer DF (1-1/2")

7-1 Specific Types - Manju - Ivory (1-7/8" - 5/8" Thick)

7-1 Specific Types - Manju - Ivory
Lacquer DF (2")

7-1 Specific Types - Manju - Wood
with Brass OME - Lacquer DF (1-1/2")

7-1 Specific Types - Manju - Bone
Bronze OME (1-5/8 x 1-3/8")

7-1 Specific Types - Manju - Beads (1-1/2")

7-1 Specific Types - Ryusa - Bone
Two Piece - Open Work (1-5/8")

7-1 Specific Types - Kagamibuta - Silvered Brass with Celluloid OME - Mikado 3 little maids (2")

7-1 Specific Types - Kagamibuta - Celluloid & Silvered Brass - Mikado Katisha (1-1/2")

7-1 Specific Types - Kagamibuta - Ivory with Silvered Brass OME (1-1/2")

7-1 Specific Types - Kagamibuta - Clasp and Chain - Wood with Silvered Brass OME - Mikado 3 little maids (1-3/4")

7-1 Specific Types - Kagamibuta - Ivory with Silvered Brass OME (1-1/8")

7-1 Specific Types - Mask - Bone God of Fortune (1-3/4")

7-1 Specific Types - Mask (Noh theater) - Ceramic Bisque (1-3/4")

7-1 Specific Types - Mask - Synthetic Polymer - Back mark (1-1/4")

Netsuke diagram

Kagamibuta construction

Netsuke with tobacco pouch

Netsukes with tobacco pouch's

To download and print a pdf of the history and information about Netsuke click here.

Some descriptions of these items may be cut off. Full descriptions can be seen in the slide show mode.

Back to Related Specialties

Acknowledgements: Thanks to the collaborators who made examples from their collections available for the images shown on this pages. They include Sally Gibson, Lou Yeargain, Bruce Cole, Marilyn Regrut and Gloria Farin. Others who contributed reviews, comments and support include Pat Fields, Pat Koehler, Jane Perry, Sarah Carroll, Barbara Barrans, and Ronnie Wexler.

A special thanks to Joan Lindsay & Joy Journeay for their expert editing skills!

References: (1) National Button Society Blue Book - Official NBS Classification and Competition Guidelines

(2) International Netsuke Society website

(3) Netsuke Online Research Center

(4) Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum

(5) Weird Asia News webpage on Netsuke

(6) Bolton Museum and Archive Services

(7) Koryuen - Site for More Appreciation of Netsuke

(8) Wikipedia Netsuke Page

(9) Aichele, Frieder and Gert Nagel. Netsuke, trans. Catherine Hutter. New York: Popular Library, 1977

Note to the Viewer:

A number of the examples shown are modern replicas that were made primarily for display rather than as a functional toggle. Several suffer in the quality of their craftsmanship and artistic design as compared to the older netsuke made for their intended use. As a result, some serious netsuke collectors will consider several of these examples less than "true netsuke."