Netsuke Central

[Matsunoki]

On 10/22/2025 at 11:55 AM, Bugyotsuji said:

My own collection, culled mostly from antiques markets in Japan, generally tends toward the functional and everyday

Hi Piers, I do envy you……being able to wander around and accumulate such charming authentic examples that illustrate a time and a lifestyle now somewhat lost. 

[Bugyotsuji]

Colin, several NMB members are in Japan or about to be, for the DTI. I imagine they will be trawling around for goodies! 

 

Often I strike out and come away empty-handed, but you well know the pleasure of heading out with high hopes of spotting something interesting. Max R once told me that you have to make the effort to get out, and meet people, and travel around.

 

Tomorrow I'm headed to Kyoto to visit two antiques fairs this weekend... wish me luck!

[Matsunoki]

3 minutes ago, Bugyotsuji said:

wish me luck!

Indeed I wish you enormous luck, I also wish I was there!

As I’m sure you know, here in the UK there are very few opportunities to go to decent fairs or markets and when you do go, like we did last week, with about 400 “dealers” (interpret that word loosely) there was nothing worth even picking up. Fake netsuke everywhere, fake chinese porcelain, one chap proudly showed me his 2 inro…..both fake! Let’s not even mention fake swords and tsuba. Arghhhhhhh!!!!

[John C]

4 hours ago, Bugyotsuji said:

Did anyone spot the vent pricker?

I'm assuming one of the two metal looking pointy pieces at the top of the pic?

 

John C.

p.s. Been looking for a drinking cup. Saw one on Ebay last year. The guy wanted 250 dollars! Needless to say, I still don't have one.

[Bugyotsuji]

Parallel to the top of the jabara purse top right is a needle. This one is made of shinchu (brass), presumably because it will not strike a spark when cleaning out a blocked pan/vent.

 

I'll keep an eye out for a cup, John, but you never know if you will come across one. You could ask the guys in Tokyo running that antiques fair search.(?)

[Kiita]

On 10/22/2025 at 4:29 AM, Bugyotsuji said:

This little lacquered carrying cup may be made from the same material as the ashtray haizara netsuke above. The concentric rings and little pinpricks look similar. Could be hazé 櫨の木, wax tree.(?)

Dead on I'd say. Grain and color on my piece where not hidden by tar and grime are identical.

[Matsunoki]

On 10/23/2025 at 4:25 PM, Bugyotsuji said:

 

Tomorrow I'm headed to Kyoto to visit two antiques fairs this weekend... wish me luck!

….and how was that luck?🙂

[Bugyotsuji]

Dang, Colin! Excellent question! 
 

The quick answer is “a mixed bag which included two dollops of serendipity”.

 

This is the Netsuke Central thread, however, so to stay strictly on topic, the weekend was ‘educational’. I saw perhaps 100+ top-class Netsuké, and thinking that it might be relatively cheaper, enquired casually about a beautifully lacquered, signed obi-hasami. The answer was ¥1,000,000… Well, cheap to some perhaps, but that was ten times my total budget for the day. Ulp!

 

I did buy an obi-hasami of perhaps bone material (?) which cost relatively nothing, plus two ojime, and a very pretty old shell (with a tatty string remnant through it), which had once served as a ‘natural’ netsuke. There was indeed a fashion at one time (early to mid Edo) for natural netsuke, and I once had a pearlescent nautilus shell netsuke, plus a beautiful chunk of amber with silver fittings, so I was pleased to acquire another one.

 

So, netsuke-wise, not a great haul, but better than a kick in the butt. 

[Matsunoki]

49 minutes ago, Bugyotsuji said:

So, netsuke-wise, not a great haul, but better than a kick in the butt. 

Finding something is always better than nothing🙂. Methinks you might have come home with treasure other than netsuke?

[Rick Becker]

I was reading the thread and found it very interesting, so I thought I’d ask for an opinion on my only Netsuke. Any opinions or information would be very much appreciated.

thank you in advance

Rick

[Bugyotsuji]

Thanks for posting, Rick.

 

Leaving aside questions of quality and age for the moment, your fledgling karasu tengu is signed Masakatsu 正勝.

There was a Masakatsu carver, real name Suzuki (1840-1899), who worked in wood in Uji Yamada, according to Ito Ryoichi.

 

There is also quite a bit of information, with illustrations of the kind of work done by at least two Masakatsu in the 1800s in the MCI, pp 416-419.

 

Look and compare. Is the quality there? Is the age there?

 

[Rick Becker]

22 minutes ago, Bugyotsuji said:

Thanks for posting, Rick.

 

Leaving aside questions of quality and age for the moment, your fledgling karasu tengu is signed Masakatsu 正勝.

There was a Masakatsu carver, real name Suzuki (1840-1899), who worked in wood in Uji Yamada, according to Ito Ryoichi.

 

There is also quite a bit of information, with illustrations of the kind of work done by at least two Masakatsu in the 1800s in the MCI, pp 416-419.

 

Look and compare. Is the quality there? Is the age there?

 

Thank you for the quick response, Piers.  I had actually done a little research on Masakatsu a few years ago and decided to take another look after reading this thread. My interest has been Nihonto for about 47 years, but I freely admit my knowledge is limited and I have no knowledge of Netsuke. Primarily interested in a quick opinion if it looks authentic and the mei looks it could right, based on the photos.

It was a gift about 30 years ago.

Thank you

Rick