Theme validated at last!

[Bugyotsuji]

Some years ago I bought a simple bone Netsuke but I was never sure why the design was the way it was. Some kind of rain dragon design, sure, but…

Today while searching through Mon books for something else, I suddenly spotted a Mon/Kamon that fitted the bill.

 

Two pieces of the puzzle.

A The offending object

 

B the Kamon 

Ama-ryu-bishi 雨竜菱

 

[Bugyotsuji]

It's tempting to have a proper Netsuke corner (even temporarily) here on the NMB. Pietro, where are you?!

 

The INS (International Netsuke Society) forum has been wallowing in the seas for months, actually years now, almost unable to function. Seven or eight times out of ten it says that the site is down; even when it's up, attempting to post a photo seems never to work.

[Baka Gaijin]

That would be an interesting venture Old Bean, and one that I would be interested in seeing on NMB.

 

Please do not call it Netsuke Nook..... even if the T Shirts and Baseball Caps have already  been prepared. 

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

This would ultimately be a decision by Brian whether or not to set up a corner, unless we use what we already have with a single giant catch-all Netsuke thread, within 'Other Japanese arts'.

 

Netsuke are a huge subject though, with octopus tentacles, so one thread may well be asking too much.

 

There have been Netsuke posts and queries on and off here on the NMB, also over in the translation section, maybe fifty or more in total over the last ten or fifteen years. 

 

We could call it something like, erm... uh.... hey, here's an original idea, what about "Netsuke Nook"?

(Cheesy, but actually that's quite good, Malcolm! ) 

 

Disclaimer

On a personal level, with some exceptions, I do not collect upmarket provenanced Victorian-era Netsuke from auction house sales, because I could not afford to play with the big guys and gals. Luckily I never invested heavily in ivory as that could have cleaned me out. My collection was mostly built visiting collectors, and trawling local antiques fairs and markets in Japan, looking for the genuine and unusual, some rustic or artisanal, spotting the odd gem; this year so far in total about seven or eight Netsuke. Four particularly interesting Netsuke have led me to write articles for Rosemary Bandini's EuroNetsuke magazine. In some cases I have found an almost identical Netsuke by the very same carver, worth something in the West, but with no provenance behind it, incomparably cheaper in Japan.

(Yes, I know, Jack-of-all-trades, that's me!)

 

 

[Brian]

Not sure how many members we have here who actively collect netsuke, and if there are, aside from 1 or 2 people, how many are expert enough to give info? You guys seem to do a decent job, but remember that those who do know about them...the onus is going to be on you guys to answer the questions, since the rest of us know nothing.
I think let's leave it in one thread for now, in the Other Arts section, and if we find there is enough activity in that section, I can create a sub-section for it. All going to depend on how much activity we have.

[Bugyotsuji]

Done, Brian.

(No point in advertising it either then.)

 

PietroParis used to drop in occasionally here. He is a wealth of information. Colin is experienced and should be very good value too. Malcolm? And John C(?) is it, in California?

Wait-and-see sounds good.

[Matsunoki]

Netsuke for me is a very bitter sweet subject. Over many years I’d built a half decent collection and had a massive library on the subject. But the along comes our woke vote grabbing government with its unjustified and ill considered ban on ivory thus was I really forced to sell the lot before their value evaporated to zero in this country. Of all the things I’ve been interested in Netsuke were (are?) probably my favourite…..even more than the guns and swords and tsuba! I really miss them more than anything else. Bloody Michael Gove…..what a weasel…..now he’s a Baron and a Lord 🤬🤬

Sorry for rant….netsuke always hit this painful nerve. Wonderful things like this …….banned from selling, importing etc

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Great post, Colin. Maybe it could be reposted inside the new thread to kick-start it, or linked into it somehow. 

 

(Lovable tiger. Those eyes!)

[Matsunoki]

20 minutes ago, Bugyotsuji said:

Maybe it could be reposted inside the new thread to kick-start it, or linked into it somehow. 

 

Hi Piers, I’ve copied it into the new thread. I’d replied here before I saw the new topic. 
My collection was centered around tigers, monkeys, wolves/wild dogs, rats and similar. They gave me such pleasure. 
Am seriously considering re-entering the fray but obviously not Ivory examples. I love the Ise Yamada school works in assorted woods (masanao et al) …..monkeys, tigers, rats etc (what a surprise!)…..but since the Ivory ban their prices are skyrocketing. Some lovely netsuke coming up in a couple of European auctions but then we must run the gauntlet of importing things without them getting “mislaid” etc

Nothing is easy anymore!