DOI issue:
No. 10 (January, 1894)
DOI article:Gilbertson, Edward: The art of collecting, [1]: Japanese netsukes
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17189#0137
Japanese Netsukes
but in my own collection I have excellent ex- visible as in a clay or wax model, and there is no
amples by Giokuhosai, Giokumin, Hokan, Hojitsu, necessity for getting rid of tool marks as there is in
Hozan, Masakatsu and Masayuki. ivory. We see these tool marks even in the small
With the exception of horses, which appear to netsukes by Shusen, about if high, and often on
have been a failure, both in painting and carving, the work of Rinkei, without any interference with
they are equally successful in their rendering of the effect of perfect
animals. Even as regards horses, although their finish. In the snails by
painters ignore anatomical truth, they are highly Tadatoshi and others,
gifted with the power of rendering motion. This we have excellent ex-
quality of suggesting amples of their skill in
movement, so charac- giving surface and tex-
teristic of the Japanese ture, the foot of the
painters, is shared by snail seems soft and
the carver. Their flexible. In a group of
figures are not petri- young quails pillaging
factions, and their ser- the ears of millet, their BV TADA T0SH1
pents are not stuffed bodies have the edges
skins stretched out to of the basket sinking into them, for they are little
the full, but have the bladders of fat almost at that time of year. Nor
by masa-yoshi undulating and flat- are they less successful in their fruits and vegeta-
tened surfaces belonging to a living snake. The bles. Every collector knows the prices French
very dragons have a life-like air, and look as if they collectors more especially pay for melons by
must be flexible. Ikkwan, and those by Hogen Tadayoshi are no-
As lessons of texture, some of the netsukes and wise inferior to them. It is difficult sometimes
okimono are perfect. Take, for instance, the to know whether one sees a real or an imitation
monkeys by Masaichi, or rats by Ikkwan, and note nut or chestnut, and how far a rough piece of wood
the treatment of the hair, the fine lines cut with a is natural, or how much it is indebted to art for its
sharp tool, not in formal quaint and picturesque surface,
order, but in various direc- s *\ Masanao was one of the very celebrated netsuke
tions as the hairs would ;£m7i carvers of the last century, and he seems to have
really lie. W |4 had no speciality, figure subjects, groups, or
In this art of giving ex- animals were executed with equal facility, and he
pression to their animals, workcd both in wood and ivory. Tomotada is
the netsuke makers, like the Jjfsj^i^fHff chiefly known for his animals, especially his oxen
Japanese painters, arc unsur- j^^^ftf^^^j b™& cIown- This was an emblem of Tsujin Sama
passable. No people have ^^ggPB&#r (Sugawaza no Michizane), the patron of caligraphy.
treated monkeys, and rats The student provided himself with one of these
by ikko , .
more especially, so success- recumbent oxen, placing it on a thin cushion, and
fully as the Japanese. You can read with the by way of propitiating the god, added an additional
greatest ease what is passing in the minds of the cushion every year until his master was satisfied
monkeys or rats of Masaichi (or Masakazu), or of with his work. Jugioku and Masaichi were both
Ikkwan ; and the contrast between a frog on the famous for their groups of miniature masks, seven or
top of a piece of rock, closely followed by crabs, nine together; Kogetsu,
and the aldermanic contentment of one undisturbed Kokei, and Giokumin
and puffed out, is ludicrous. All this betokens a carved frogs and tor-
close study of nature, and in one of my netsukes a toises, while Toyomasa,
tame monkey is waking up an owl with a stick ; a very skilful carver of
any one who has ever disturbed an owl in the the eighteenth century,
daytime, and noted how he fidgets, with one wing made wooden netsukes,
at a time, before waking up thoroughly, will at once hollowed and pierced,
recognise the truth of the rendering. representing serpents
The finest works, in my opinion, are those in and dragons, to be at-
wood ; there is naturally a greater freedom in the tached to the pipe-case,
stroke of the tool, the touch of the master remains In his animals we fre- by haru-mitsu
I 2
5
but in my own collection I have excellent ex- visible as in a clay or wax model, and there is no
amples by Giokuhosai, Giokumin, Hokan, Hojitsu, necessity for getting rid of tool marks as there is in
Hozan, Masakatsu and Masayuki. ivory. We see these tool marks even in the small
With the exception of horses, which appear to netsukes by Shusen, about if high, and often on
have been a failure, both in painting and carving, the work of Rinkei, without any interference with
they are equally successful in their rendering of the effect of perfect
animals. Even as regards horses, although their finish. In the snails by
painters ignore anatomical truth, they are highly Tadatoshi and others,
gifted with the power of rendering motion. This we have excellent ex-
quality of suggesting amples of their skill in
movement, so charac- giving surface and tex-
teristic of the Japanese ture, the foot of the
painters, is shared by snail seems soft and
the carver. Their flexible. In a group of
figures are not petri- young quails pillaging
factions, and their ser- the ears of millet, their BV TADA T0SH1
pents are not stuffed bodies have the edges
skins stretched out to of the basket sinking into them, for they are little
the full, but have the bladders of fat almost at that time of year. Nor
by masa-yoshi undulating and flat- are they less successful in their fruits and vegeta-
tened surfaces belonging to a living snake. The bles. Every collector knows the prices French
very dragons have a life-like air, and look as if they collectors more especially pay for melons by
must be flexible. Ikkwan, and those by Hogen Tadayoshi are no-
As lessons of texture, some of the netsukes and wise inferior to them. It is difficult sometimes
okimono are perfect. Take, for instance, the to know whether one sees a real or an imitation
monkeys by Masaichi, or rats by Ikkwan, and note nut or chestnut, and how far a rough piece of wood
the treatment of the hair, the fine lines cut with a is natural, or how much it is indebted to art for its
sharp tool, not in formal quaint and picturesque surface,
order, but in various direc- s *\ Masanao was one of the very celebrated netsuke
tions as the hairs would ;£m7i carvers of the last century, and he seems to have
really lie. W |4 had no speciality, figure subjects, groups, or
In this art of giving ex- animals were executed with equal facility, and he
pression to their animals, workcd both in wood and ivory. Tomotada is
the netsuke makers, like the Jjfsj^i^fHff chiefly known for his animals, especially his oxen
Japanese painters, arc unsur- j^^^ftf^^^j b™& cIown- This was an emblem of Tsujin Sama
passable. No people have ^^ggPB&#r (Sugawaza no Michizane), the patron of caligraphy.
treated monkeys, and rats The student provided himself with one of these
by ikko , .
more especially, so success- recumbent oxen, placing it on a thin cushion, and
fully as the Japanese. You can read with the by way of propitiating the god, added an additional
greatest ease what is passing in the minds of the cushion every year until his master was satisfied
monkeys or rats of Masaichi (or Masakazu), or of with his work. Jugioku and Masaichi were both
Ikkwan ; and the contrast between a frog on the famous for their groups of miniature masks, seven or
top of a piece of rock, closely followed by crabs, nine together; Kogetsu,
and the aldermanic contentment of one undisturbed Kokei, and Giokumin
and puffed out, is ludicrous. All this betokens a carved frogs and tor-
close study of nature, and in one of my netsukes a toises, while Toyomasa,
tame monkey is waking up an owl with a stick ; a very skilful carver of
any one who has ever disturbed an owl in the the eighteenth century,
daytime, and noted how he fidgets, with one wing made wooden netsukes,
at a time, before waking up thoroughly, will at once hollowed and pierced,
recognise the truth of the rendering. representing serpents
The finest works, in my opinion, are those in and dragons, to be at-
wood ; there is naturally a greater freedom in the tached to the pipe-case,
stroke of the tool, the touch of the master remains In his animals we fre- by haru-mitsu
I 2
5