Netsuke

Museum number:
9-12552
Permalink:
ark:/21549/hm21090012552
Alternate number:
130 (previous number) and 3886 (previous number (Design Dept.))
Accession number:
Acc.3032
Description:
Pipe holder: carved bone, long and narrow. Light relief decoration with incised detail depicts five insects on each side. One side has snail with coral inlaid antennae, wasp with jade eyes and mother of pearl wings (one missing), cricket with jade head, Praying mantis with incised mother-of-pearl belly and yellow shell eyes, and a beetle w/ coral and shell. Other side depicts a slug, locust, dragon fly, bee, and butterfly. each with inlaid eyes. Butterfly has tortoise shell wings. Interior hollowed out for pipe. Cord hole on side L. 20 cm.
Donor:
Design Department (UC Berkeley)
Collection place:
Japan
Verbatim coll. place:
Japan
Culture or time period:
Japanese
Collector:
Albert M. Bender
Collection date:
before 1933
Materials:
Bone (material), Coral (material), Jade (rock), Pearl (animal material), and Shell (animal material)
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Dragons and Netsukes
Function:
5.5 Stimulants, Narcotics, and Accessories
Accession date:
1974
Context of use:
Used as both toggle (netsuke) for tobacco case and to hold the pipe (kiseru). Is usually attached to the tobacco case by cord, and thrust through the sash for the support of the case.
Department:
Asia (except western Russia)
Dimensions:
length 20 centimeters
Images:
Hearst Museum object 1 of 2 titled Netsuke, accession number 9-12552, described as Pipe holder: carved bone, long and narrow. Light relief decoration with incised detail depicts five insects on each side. One side has snail with coral inlaid antennae, wasp with jade eyes and mother of pearl wings (one missing), cricket with jade head, Praying mantis with incised mother-of-pearl belly and yellow shell eyes, and a beetle w/ coral and shell. Other side depicts a slug, locust, dragon fly, bee, and butterfly. each with inlaid eyes. Butterfly has tortoise shell wings. Interior hollowed out for pipe. Cord hole on side L. 20 cm.Hearst Museum object 2 of 2 titled Netsuke, accession number 9-12552, described as Pipe holder: carved bone, long and narrow. Light relief decoration with incised detail depicts five insects on each side. One side has snail with coral inlaid antennae, wasp with jade eyes and mother of pearl wings (one missing), cricket with jade head, Praying mantis with incised mother-of-pearl belly and yellow shell eyes, and a beetle w/ coral and shell. Other side depicts a slug, locust, dragon fly, bee, and butterfly. each with inlaid eyes. Butterfly has tortoise shell wings. Interior hollowed out for pipe. Cord hole on side L. 20 cm.
Legacy documentation:
Documentation associated with Hearst Museum object titled Netsuke, accession number 9-12552, described as Pipe holder: carved bone, long and narrow. Light relief decoration with incised detail depicts five insects on each side. One side has snail with coral inlaid antennae, wasp with jade eyes and mother of pearl wings (one missing), cricket with jade head, Praying mantis with incised mother-of-pearl belly and yellow shell eyes, and a beetle w/ coral and shell. Other side depicts a slug, locust, dragon fly, bee, and butterfly. each with inlaid eyes. Butterfly has tortoise shell wings. Interior hollowed out for pipe. Cord hole on side L. 20 cm.Documentation associated with Hearst Museum object titled Netsuke, accession number 9-12552, described as Pipe holder: carved bone, long and narrow. Light relief decoration with incised detail depicts five insects on each side. One side has snail with coral inlaid antennae, wasp with jade eyes and mother of pearl wings (one missing), cricket with jade head, Praying mantis with incised mother-of-pearl belly and yellow shell eyes, and a beetle w/ coral and shell. Other side depicts a slug, locust, dragon fly, bee, and butterfly. each with inlaid eyes. Butterfly has tortoise shell wings. Interior hollowed out for pipe. Cord hole on side L. 20 cm.

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