Contemporary Netsuke
1 (Frontispiece). INRO, OJIME, AND NETSUKE. Inro by Koma Yasu-masa (also known as Koma Ankyo; d. 1715). Netsuke and ojime unsigned, c. 18th century. Courtesy of Virginia Atchley. (Enlargement: 1.7 times)
with a Foreword by Hans Conried
Photographs by Tomo-o Ogita
and Tsune Sugimura
Sketches by Adelheid Roth Roscher
CHARLES E. TUTTLE COMPANY
Rutland • Vermont : Tokyo • Japan
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Published by the Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc.
of Rutland, Vermont & Tokyo, Japan
with editorial offices at
Osaki Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0032
Copyright in Japan, 1977
by Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc.
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 77-072596
ISBN: 978-1-4629-0891-2 (ebook)
Book design, typography, and layout
by F. Sakade and H. Doki
First printing, 1977
PRINTED IN JAPAN
To my husband Bob
and
To all who are keeping
the art of netsuke carving alive
Table of Contents
| List of Illustrations | 13 | |
| Foreword by Hans Conried | 17 | |
| Acknowledgments | 19 | |
| Photographers' Notes | 22 | |
| Introduction | 25 | |
| PART ONE | ||
| CHAPTER 1: | Background | 29 |
| Netsuke and Sculptural Art | 29 | |
| Early Period (c. 157-1780) | 29 | |
| The Golden Age (c. 1780-1850) | 31 | |
| Decline (c. 1850-75) | 32 | |
| The Beginning of the Collecting Era (c. 1875) | 32 | |
| The Post-Restoration Period (c. 1875-1925) | 34 | |
| The Contemporary Period (c. 1925-present) | 35 | |
| CHAPTER 2: | Contemporary Netsuke | 36 |
| Evaluation | 36 | |
| Types of Netsuke | 59 | |
| Marketing | 59 | |
| Carvers | 61 | |
| CHAPTER 3: | Subject Matter | 64 |
| Subjects | 64 | |
| Sources | 65 | |
| Expression | 66 | |
| Individuality | 66 | |
| Favorite Folktales Illustrated | 83 | |
| CHAPTER 4: | Collecting Contemporary Netsuke | 94 |
| Collectors | 94 | |
| The Motivations of Collectors | 95 | |
| Specialized Collecting | 97 | |
| Notes for Novices | 98 | |
| Signatures | 116 | |
| Copies in Netsuke Art | 118 | |
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