Shunga Netsuke

Netsuke are miniature Japanese sculptures that were invented in the 17th century. The kosode and kimono, traditional Japanese garments, had no pockets.

Objects normally kept in a pocket (pipes, tobacco, money, seals, medicines), were put into containers called sagemono and hung by cords from the garments' sashes (obi). These containers were either a pouch, small woven basket or decorative box (inro) held shut by small, sliding beads called ohime. The fastener that secured the cord at the top of the sash was a carved, button-llike toggle called a netsuke.

The netsuke served both a decorative and practical purpose and were most popular during the Edo period (1615 - 1868). Netsuke evolved over time from a strictly utilitarian object, into one of artistic merit.

They were carved from a variety of materials including ivory, boxwood, precious stones, teeth (hippopotamus, whale, tiger, bear, boar), boar tusk, clay and porcelain, lacquer, rhinoceros horn, hornbill ivory, metal, black coral, walrus tusk, bamboo, agate, jet, whale bone, and nuts (walnut, tagua). Quality was variable, as these were, at the time, a very common, everyday object. Wealthier people had finer netsuke, and it was easy to tell the status of a person by the quality of their netsuke.

There were many forms - round, long, with mirror lids, lacy, masks, and ones with hidden or moving parts. Netsuke display every aspect of Japanese culture, including its rich folklore and and religion, crafts, trades and profession, people, and creatures both real and mythical. One form was the shunga netsuke.

Within the closed and conservative Japanese society, the erotic or shunga netsuke enabled the Japanese to freely represent thei views, customs without repression of the ruler. Shunga netsuke also helped in ancient sex education and were popular gifts for newlyweds.

Each detail is clearly visible, and the positions vary. Some were based on the Kama Sutra or other Indian sex guides, while many positions came purely from the artists imagination, and are just impossible for a real person to do!

With the decline of traditional Japanese garments for everyday wear, there is less demand for netsuke as a utilitarian object, and more as an artistic item. New netsuke are still produced, mainly for export, and antique ones are highly collectible.

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