What exactly is a netsuke?

[watsonmil]

Dear John,

      I have owned only a couple of Chinese Toggles,  therefore I am far from being an expert.  Having provide that caveat,  I.  Generally Toggles are noticeably smaller than Netsuke.  2.  The hole,  if there is one is much smaller and goes clean through the body of the toggle.  3.  Quite often Toggles use a central area of the body as one would expect to see on a clothing button.  Toggles were made of a huge variety of materials from wood to elaborately carved Jade depending upon the status of the wearer.  4.  Toggles are generally quite boring to look at.  Unlike the majority of Netsuke,  they do not tell a story.  5.  They never appear ready to walk or fly off your palm.  6.  You rarely if ever find humor displayed in a Chinese Toggle.   John,  I am sure there are other clues to Toggle verses Netsuke that a more learned person could describe,  but if you keep these 6, actually 7 points in mind,  you are highly unlikely to make an error.   Through my years of studying both Japanese and Chinese Art,  I much prefer the Japanese Netsuke.   I once thought I'd like to collect Chinese Jades,  but given the fact that I personally found Chinese Art to be rather boring and AGAIN the fact that so many FAKES are being produced even going so far as for the Chinese to import British Columbia, CANADA  Jade as our Jade is a more even and vibrant green and the Chinese love the color green.

    I hope my answer is satisfactory.

Thank you, ... Ron

[John C]

Thank you, Ron. This gives me a good reference for distinguishing between the two.

 

John C.

[PietroParis]

Ronald Watson you clearly don't know what you are talking about. Where do I start unraveling your ball of nonsense?  Bernard Hurtig's "International Netsuke Collectors Society" started in 1972 and closed shop around 1985. An unrelated collectors group, "Netsuke Kenkyukai", started in 1980 and became the "International Netsuke Society" in 1996. The yearly $125 fee of the INS covers four issues of the journal, which may or may not be considered a good deal, but most importantly it gives access to 46 years of back issues in electronic form. Genuine netsuke can be bought from dealers, from major auction houses (but not Sotheby's, which closed its Japanese art department in 2007, and even Christie's rarely sells netsuke nowadays), from cheaper local auctions, from flea markets, from other collectors, from Catawiki, and even from eBay. Collectors do not "shy away from buying netsuke" for fear of Chinese fakes:  a minimal education in the subject is sufficient to spot those fakes, which are comparable to the cast tsuba or fake gunto that are commonly seen in this forum. If you fear that you cannot distinguish them, just buy a few books first, as is advisable in all branches of collecting. Sophisticated forgeries of course also exist,  but those do not necessarily come from China (e.g., German fakers were prolific in the 1990s) and generally target the higher end of the market. The prices of collectible netsuke range from a few hundreds to, indeed, a few hundred thousands. Some collectors will be confined to low and mid-range pieces, others will be able to afford the best stuff. But all of the collectors I know are passionate about the subject, and many are also knowledgeable. Is this any different from what happens with Japanese swords?

[watsonmil]

Dear John,

      I have owned only a couple of Chinese Toggles,  therefore I am far from being an expert.  Having provide that caveat,  I.  Generally Toggles are noticeably smaller than Netsuke.  2.  The hole,  if there is one is much smaller and goes clean through the body of the toggle.  3.  Quite often Toggles use a central area of the body as one would expect to see on a clothing button.  Toggles were made of a huge variety of materials from wood to elaborately carved Jade depending upon the status of the wearer.  4.  Toggles are generally quite boring to look at.  Unlike the majority of Netsuke,  they do not tell a story.  5.  They never appear ready to walk or fly off your palm.  6.  You rarely if ever find humor displayed in a Chinese Toggle.   John,  I am sure there are other clues to Toggle verses Netsuke that a more learned person could describe,  but if you keep these 6, actually 7 points in mind,  you are highly unlikely to make an error.   Through my years of studying both Japanese and Chinese Art,  I much prefer the Japanese Netsuke.   I once thought I'd like to collect Chinese Jades,  but given the fact that I personally found Chinese Art to be rather boring and AGAIN the fact that so many FAKES are being produced even going so far as for the Chinese to import British Columbia, CANADA  Jade as our Jade is a more even and vibrant green and the Chinese love the color green.

    I hope my answer is satisfactory.

Thank you, ... Ron

[watsonmil]

John,  

    According to Pietro in France ...  I  " clearly do not know what I'm talking about ",  so do not rely on the information I provided.  There used to be respect on the NMB.   It is unfortunate that the NMB has deteriorated to the point I no longer care to post.   I can find better things to do than share my  "clearly flawed knowledge ".

Kind regards, ... Ron   

[Bugyotsuji]

Ron, these are simply two individuals who pop into the NMB and enjoy heated discussions. Many others are reading and learning from every post, while they suspend judgement. Some posts do have little barbs or triggers in them but the majority of participants really do try to avoid posting or getting caught on those.
Colin and Pietro will challenge others, as you will challenge them, but you are all three of you quite strong characters who definitely add colour to the world! I have learned much from all of you.

 

As to the NMB itself, it’s a little like a kaleidoscope, never the same from one year to the next.

 

[Brian]

I'll ask everyone to calm down please, and have a little respect for each other. Many of us here are unaware of other members backgrounds or experience. Both Colin and Ron have significant experience in their fields, and I have learned a ton from both of you. I respect both opinions and experiences. Ron has some amazing tales of his early years, and some incredible stories of what it was like in the arms field way back. Colin has significant experience in the UK art scene and Japanese art there. You both have a lot to offer. Sometimes it's good to go back on someone's profile and read what they posted years back, it allows you some insight into the person and how they respond and why.
Please guys, allow for different personalities. Sometimes what we perceive as rude or arrogant or argumentative is just part of someone's persona, and doesn't need to be taken personally. Ron...Colin has some amazing experience and stories from the UK scene. He has a lot to teach. Likewise Colin...Ron has a very different outlook on things from his days as a major weapons dealer in Canada, and has some incredibly interesting stories. Let's allow for different opinions and more importantly personalities, and maybe not take things too personally.

[Matsunoki]

12 hours ago, John C said:

Hey Colin: I'm not arguing the point just want to offer a definition. In sociology circles, we call this "conspicuous consumption." The goal of the rich here is, not to own and admire an artistic object, but rather to display their wealth to the rest of the "proletariate" as they see us. 

John C.

John, yes I fully understand and it is not pleasant behaviour. I find it distasteful but it’s a fact of life and has always been so. No argument from me on that point.

Edited in view of Brian’s comments.

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Perhaps I should add a word for Pietro too.

I remember when he first appeared on the INS Netsuke scene as an eager youngster, and how he devoted himself to researching netsuke, walking the museums over the years, searching out netsuke collections and linking them electronically for people to experience, building up a vast knowledge in the interim. Still maturing! Never met him personally but generally I trust his judgment, as too that of Colin. 

 

Ron reminds me though of a grizzly Canadian frontiersman, who has seen much, bitterly forged by harsh weather, his thriving business shafted by fools in high places. What an incredible background he has had though, and what stories he has to tell, as Brian says. Needs to be heard by a glowing fire with a pinch of salt and a glass or two of whisky, all judgement suspended meantime!

 

 

[PietroParis]

That someone in his late forties (then) or mid fifties (now) should be considered a "youngster" is just a sad reflection of the state of these communities. And while undoubtedly "young" in collecting years, I am already "old" enough to appreciate that the levels of passion, scholarship and specialization in netsuke collecting are not inferior to what members of this forum are used to in the context of Nihonto. Being a grizzled expert in a field does not automatically imply knowing anything about the other, and when someone spews misinformation he needs to be called out.

[Bugyotsuji]

Here are some Chinese toggles, two adjusted to show the holes. 
 

A Side view

 

B Top view

[Kiko]

I have come across your conversation a bit late, gentlemen; while it is obviously impossible to cover the subject exhaustively in just two pages, I am surprised that the inro, that box which often held "medicines", has not yet been mentioned, nor the apotropaic or propitiatory aspects of many of the netsuke attached to them. I take the liberty of mentioning this because it seems to me that, when trying to distinguish certain "authentic" netsuke, it is worth considering what significance or practical utility the subject matter might have held for the wearer.
 

That said and just to offer an unsolicited opinion, I humbly admit that, as a "very young" collector, I sometimes have a soft spot for contemporary "display-case" pieces that border on okimono...
...yet whose beauty moves me just as much as an antique piece with its history and patina—qualities that admittedly appeal to our tastes as amateur ethnologists.
I am thinking in particular, though not exclusively, of artists like Bishu, whose balancing-act artistry delights both my eye and my hand. In this regard, I cannot recommend highly enough to forum members interested in miniature sculpture and who happen to be passing through Kyoto (this also applies to those conveniently in Osaka for the Katana Za—we saw you there) that you take the time to visit the Seishu Netsuke Art Museum. It showcases absolutely fabulous modern works in a beautiful, intimate setting.
In my experience, you won't be bothered by the crowds that might have somewhat spoiled your stroll through Gion.
 

Finally, I also tend to think that—just as with blades and guards—it would be both unfair and counterproductive to disparage the work of artisans who keep a tradition and a craft alive, and whose creations will undoubtedly become prized antiques for those who come after us. But that last remark was perhaps unnecessary in a place where the work of someone like Ford Hallam is, quite rightly, appreciated at its true worth!

[John C]

On 7/15/2026 at 3:48 AM, Bugyotsuji said:

Chinese toggles,

Now I get a better visual on how these were used. I didn't anticipate the slot in the bottom pieces. But they make sense now that I see them together.

 

John C.

[EricMajo]

Worth starting from the definition itself: at its core, a netsuke is simply the toggle for the inro cord — a practical fastener, nothing more. And yet what began as essentially a stick evolved into one of the great art forms to come out of Japan, one that's still very much alive today. That gap between such a humble original function and where the craft ended up is, to me, one of the more remarkable stories in Japanese decorative arts.

There are so many types of netsuke, and just as many types of collectors. Some are drawn purely to age — patina is a character in itself, it tells you the piece has actually lived a life. Others prioritize the quality of the carving, or gravitate toward specific motifs regardless of period. Kiko's mention of the modern netsuke museum in Kyoto is a good example of the latter camp — genuinely sculptural, artistic pieces on the most random subjects imaginable. But honestly, even setting the subject aside, the sheer skill required to carve a piece from scratch in wood, ivory, or whatever the material — starting from a rough block and ending with something that fits perfectly in the palm — is already something close to magic on its own.

Size matters too, I think, more than people give it credit for. Part of what pulls me toward these pieces, if I'm honest, is that they feel a bit like childhood toys — something built to be held, turned over in the hand, discovered from every angle. That tactile, palm-sized quality is doing a lot of the emotional work, maybe even more than the carving itself.

 

And though I sell them, collecting came first — I started as a collector before a dealer, and I still enjoy looking at them every day, same as I do with inro, tsuba, and the rest of it. It's genuinely part of daily life here, not just inventory passing through.

On the China question raised earlier in this thread — I've come across a handful of Chinese pieces that serve a similar functional purpose without technically being netsuke, but in general terms, the carving quality of old-period Japanese work strikes me as considerably more exceptional. Not a knock on the Chinese material, just a difference in tradition and, I suspect, in how central that specific craft became to Japanese decorative arts versus being one thread among many elsewhere.