SUGIMURA
Tokyo, Japan
Introduction
HAVE YOU ever held a netsuke in your hand? It is an experience that may well lead you down enchanting, fun-filled trails.
Perhaps you will first explore the history of netsuke—their origin, their transition from purely functional pendants or toggles to an art form. You will find that the flowering of this art of miniature sculpture paralleled the longest peaceful period in Japanese history (Edo, 1603-1868). During this time, Japan had very little intercourse with the rest of the world. Because of the lack of foreign influence, the art of netsuke carving, like the art of woodblock printing, which also flourished during this period, represents an expression of pure Japanese creativeness, beauty, and artistic skill.
It the subject matter of the first two or three netsuke you acquire is based on legends or folklore, and you start down that trail, you will be off on a never ending adventure. You will be introduced to the life and customs, the history, and the religion of the Japanese people of that period through an art form captivating in its whimsy and incredible in its beauty.
A number of excellent books have been written during the past six or seven decades on the subject of netsuke (see Bibliography). These books have included brief biographies of the carvers and their signatures; photographs of representative netsuke; and information on materials, carving techniques, and subject matter of netsuke produced during the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries.
Information on twentieth-century carvers and their contribution to the world of netsuke art is extremely limited. The purpose of this book is to explore contemporary netsuke trails; not only for the enlightenment of the collector—both potential and sophisticated—but also to increase recognition of the distinguished work of a comparatively small group of truly superior contemporary netsuke carvers.
In writing this book on the contemporary netsuke scene, I have tried to be as representative and as up-to-date as possible. (More or less arbitrarily, I defined “contemporary" as the period from 1925 to the present.) But changes have occurred since the manuscript was completed: promising carvers have become important ones; new talents have emerged; and, unhappily, distinguished figures have vanished from the landscape. For any lapses or inaccuracies caused by such changes I must ask my readers' indulgence. As with any book on contemporary art, there had to be a cut-off point for current information.
THE AUTHOR
Note: As this book was nearing publication, we received the very sad news of Ichiro's death on June 22, 1977.
CHAPTER 1
Background
NETSUKE AND SCULPTURAL ART
With the introduction of Buddhism into Japan in A.D. 552 A whole new world of sculptural art was born. Buddhist images and image carvers came to Japan from China, and the deities of Buddhism provided a wealth of new subject matter for the Japanese artist. Some of the world's finest examples of Buddhist art, the wooden statues of the Nara period (710-94), were produced by Japanese sculptors early in the eighth century. While Chinese canons of art unquestionably had an influence on Japan's sculpture during the Nara period, the true Japanese tradition was never submerged. Subsequent periods were marked by various sculptural innovations, including architectural decorations, masks worn in Noh dramas, sword ornaments and furnishings, the netsuke, and the ojime. When netsuke first came into use is not definitely known, although the earliest artistically executed netsuke still in existence date from the end of the sixteenth century.
EARLY PERIOD (c. 1574-1780)
The word netsuke, loosely translated, means “root attachment." The absence of pockets in the kimono made netsuke a necessary, functional part of Japanese attire. Their basic origin can 'be traced to the Muromachi period (1336—1568), when they were presumably worn as toggles attached to a cord tucked under the belt or sash (obi) from which were suspended keys, a water gourd, or various objects known as koshisage (things hanging from the waist), or sagemono (hanging things). The netsuke of this period were natural forms—a wisteria root, a shell, a small gourd, a bone, a stone, or an uncarved piece of wood (Fig. 2).
The decorated netsuke undoubtedly came into use late in the sixteenth or early in the seventeenth century, when it was the fashion for samurai and the aristocratic classes to carry inro (see Frontispiece). The inro was a small flat box, usually containing several compartments, and was used to carry medicine or seals. The compartments were neatly fitted, one on top of the other, and were held together by a cord that passed through a bead fastener called an ojime. The netsuke was attached to the end of the cord as a toggle to hold the cord under the obi. Money pouches (kinchaku) also hung from the obi, held fast with netsuke toggles. These early netsuke were simple in design and generally fashioned in wood, although some in bone, ivory, metal, and lacquer are also attributed to this period.
2. Natural-form netsuke.
By the latter part of the seventeenth century the tobacco pouch, held in place at the waist by cord and netsuke, came into use (Fig. 3). During the eighteenth century the practice of pipe smoking became very widespread, with the result that there was an increase in the demand for netsuke. The netsuke became a status symbol, its style and value corresponding to the position and wealth of the wearer.
This booming netsuke market gave occupation to many carvers and lured distinguished artists from other arts and crafts. One of the imperial edicts against the Christians (c. 1605) required that a Buddhist image be placed in every home. This led many artists to turn their talents to sculptural art. When the demand for religious images was satisfied, many sculptors then turned their creative skills to netsuke carving. Netsuke of finest quality, in increasing numbers, were coming from the workshops of top-ranking carvers. At the same time, less skillfully wrought netsuke were being produced for those of limited means.
3. Tobacco pouch, pipe (in case), cord, and netsuke.
Prior to this time there were no professional netsuke carvers to pass the art down from generation to generation, as was traditional in the world of Buddhist-image sculptors. Netsuke carving was largely a side industry of various craftsmen, such as maskmakers and dollmakers, metalworkers, lacquerers, image sculptors, and makers of musical instruments. Netsuke carving was also a pastime of dentists, artists, samurai, and men of learning. By the latter part of the eighteenth century, the demand for netsuke became so great that many of the most talented craftsmen turned to netsuke carving as a vocation. Thus began the seventy-year period often referred to as the Golden Age of netsuke art.
THE GOLDEN AGE (c. 1780-1850)
This period reached its zenith during the first three decades of the nineteenth century. The netsuke carvers—both professionals and hobbyists—increased in number. Netsuke in great quantity, some of the finest in quality and most varied in material and design, were produced. The majority of carvers lived in and near large cities—Tokyo (Edo), Kyoto, Osaka, and Nagoya—and because of the great demand, wholesale stores specializing in netsuke were established in these cities. The work of the first-rank carvers could be increasingly recognized
