I have seen this word many times while browsing eBay and the internet but never really got to grips with it. Actually, the Chinese, Korean and Japanese civilisations are frankly the big weak points for me, one day when I grow up, I will delve deeper into this. Anyhoooo, there’s a nice little exhibition of this in the British Museum. So what is it you ask? I quote from wiki:
Netsuke (根付?) [netsu͍ke] are miniature sculptures that were invented in 17th-century Japan to serve a practical function (the two Japanese characters ne+tsuke mean "root" and "to attach"). Traditional Japanese garments—robes called kosode and kimono—had no pockets; however, men who wore them needed a place to store their personal belongings, such as pipes, tobacco, money, seals, or medicines.
Their solution was to place such objects in containers (called sagemono) hung by cords from the robes' sashes (obi). The containers may have been pouches or small woven baskets, but the most popular were beautifully crafted boxes (inrō), which were held shut by ojime, which were sliding beads on cords. Whatever the form of the container, the fastener that secured the cord at the top of the sash was a carved, button-like toggle called a netsuke.
Beautiful pieces no? crap photography though
this is a writing box with landscape. And the artist used lacquer techniques to build up layers of gold and silver. Most exquisite. 1700’s
Some ivory carvings…
bit naughty there, but here’s another of my goddesses, my girlfriend…
she is just beautiful and exquisite, check out those curves. And look at the shiny parts, right on her bottom. Beautiful. I just love her…
And while walking down the stairs, I noticed this green haired person. <sighs> in the British Museum..
anyway, after spending a day, i had to get out of here..lovely lovely place and a great day here.
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