Description
Antique Japanese hand carved boxwood netsuke. Carefully carved, no losses of a pair of fudogs one large with the baby resting upon the back legs and looking up contemplatively.
In Japanese mythology, foo dogs, also known as komainu or shishi, are lion-like creatures that represent protection, prosperity, and success.
The ornately carved toggles were once an integral part of Japanese fashion.
Like all art objects of great worth, netsuke distill the essence of a specific time and place. Worn as part of a traditional Japanese man’s ensemble from the 17th-century onwards, the netsuke’s purpose was hyper-specific, and its functional simplicity lent artists unlimited freedom to constantly redefine what it could be.
Formally, netsuke have few requirements: they must be small, they must have holes through which to pass a single cord, and they must have no protuberances that could damage one’s kimono. Everything else is left to the carver’s imagination. As such netsuke differ in style, subject and material as widely as the personalities of their makers, and they are consequently supremely collectable.
Age: Early Meiji period (1868 – 1912)
Dimensions: 2 1/2″ long x 1 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ high
