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Wood & Ivory Nut Netsuke Jewelry
Hand Carved with Glass Eyes - All pieces shown below are between 1 1/2 inch - 2 inch tall

What is "NETSUKE"
Netsuke(nets'keh) is a small carving usually of wood or ivory serving as a toggle netsuke is a form of small sculpture which developed in Japan over a period of more than three hundred years. Netsuke served both functional and aesthetic purposes. The kimono, the traditional form of Japanese dress, had no pockets. Women would tuck small personal items into their sleeves, but men suspended their tobacco pouches, pipes, purses or writing implements, on a silk cord, from their obi (sash). These hanging objects are called sagemono. To stop the cord from slipping through the obi, a small toggle was attached. This toggle is called a netsuke. (The most popular pronunciation is net-ski, while the actual Japanese is closer to netskeh). A sliding bead (ojime) was strung on the cord between the netsuke and the sagemono to tighten or loosen the opening of the sagemono. The entire ensemble was then worn, at the waist, and functioned as a sort of removable hip pocket. All three objects, the netsuke, the ojime and the different types of sagemono were often beautifully decorated with elaborate carving, lacquer work, or inlays of rare and exotic materials, including: wood, ivory, precious metals, shell, coral and semi-precious stones. more and more elaborate thus developing it into a cherished art form.  In Japan, rabbits symbolize longevity.
The Netsuke below are traditional Netsuke with two holes drilled in the bottom for a cord.
They can be used for display or an ornament.

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