MARYKAY - DELIGHTFUL TINY ELEPHANT BOXWOOD NETSUKE SCULPTURE

MARYKAY - DELIGHTFUL TINY ELEPHANT BOXWOOD NETSUKE SCULPTURE

This tiny little sculture is 6.5 x 2.2 X 3.6cms - The detail is stunning

  Netsuke (Japanese:æ ¹ä»Â˜) are miniature sculptures that were invented in 17th century JAPAN -

materials used:

• people - famous and anonymous, current, historical, real and fictitious, children, warriors, priests, etc.
• craft, trades, professions - often depicting actions (fishermen catching fish, woodcutters cutting wood), or examples(i.e., a stylized apple for an orchardist or apple merchant).
• animals - zodiac animals and others; it is worth noting that tradition netsuke style depicts octopus figures as having a tube like siphon protruding from the "face" similar to a mouth. If you examine closely, you'll find that some octopuses have nine tentacles instead of 8. These octopuses will usually be found embracing beautiful women; you can guess what the ninth tentacle represents.
• plants or plant products - small ones, such as beans or chestnuts, are often carved life-size.
• deities and mythical creatures - often from Chinese myth and religion
• non-living things - the smallest category. Common examples include roof tiles, coins, and tools
• abstract - mon patterns and other designs
• sexual - "shunga" netsuke may depict a male and female in sexual conjugation, or may contain only subtle or symbolic sexual references

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The Kimono (traditional Japanese dress) had no pockets so the people carried a small hanging object - AN INRO- to keep all their possessions in. The INRO had drawstrings to keep it closed and to attach it to the wearers waist. The toggle which secured the drawstrings to the waist was known as the NETSUKE and was both functional and aesthetically pleasing.The OJIME (sliding bead) was strung to the cord between the netsuke and the INRO to tighten or loosen the opening of the INRO....   NETSUKES were made from wood / bone or ivory and were probably always delicately carved. This required enormous skill and craftmanship from the carver. As time went on the carvers became famous for their originality and imagination and often they signed their work in respect to this.