Netsuke: Please touch my art.
A friend of mine recently was telling me about Netsuke (pronounced NET-SKAY) art. Apparently there is an animal that is representative of each person’s birth year. This Cocker Spaniel was carved by Netsuke artist-in-training, Nori Mimbu.
Netsuke is the art of taking each one of those animals and carving it. Apparently Netsukee has quite a following from Japan as well as other countries.
Morikami Museum just had a showing and an auction in Delray Beach featuring Netsuke carvings from these various artists as part of the International Netsuke Society Annual Convention which was held at Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Coconut Grove, just south of Miami.
Excerpt of an email from a friend who attended:
…they had over 175 registered for their meeting this year in Coconut Grove. Mostly Japanese, but many from other countries. In addition to their lectures, workshops, tours, and parties, they feature auctions of completed works. All of their carvings can be held in your hand—-and they encourage people to handle their artwork—-I suppose to better appreciate all of the minute indentations and rounding of surfaces. Absolutely amazing the detail they carve into such small creatures!!! Some even have ivory or deer horn particles embedded, and some have very special coloring.
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Ok, here a description I got of what Netsukes actually are from a Netsuke seller:
A netsuke is a form of small sculpture which developed in Japan over a period of more than 300 years. Netsuke served both functional and aesthetic purposes. The kimono, the traditional form of Japanese dress, had no pockets. Women would tuck small personal items into their sleeves, but men suspended their tobacco pouches, pipes, purses or writing implements, on a silk cord, from their obi (sash). These hanging objects are called sagemono. To stop the cord from slipping through the obi, a small toggle was attached. The toggle is called Netsuke.
Artists, who often left their work unsigned, began carving elaborate objects using any and all materials available to them. Some used rare materials including ivory and stone, and others used extremely common materials such as narwhal, boar’s tusk, boar’s teeth, amber, and stag antler. Contemporary artists have also experimented with netsuke. These new carvers are from many countries around the world, including the United States, Canada, Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and some European countries. The different locations of the carvers has helped usher in new themes to this form of sculpture that are not generally evident in Japan.