Netsuke in form of woman and child

Made:
1800-1929 in Japan
Ivory statue Ivory statue

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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Ivory statue
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Ivory statue
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Ivory statue, in the form of a woman standing before a mortar with pestle in her hand and a child standing opposite her, signed, Japanese, 1800-1929

This tiny ivory netsuke is in the form of a woman standing before a mortar. A pestle is in her hand and a child stands opposite. She could be grinding food or mixing a pharmacological preparation. The netsuke was made in Japan.

Netsuke are carved toggle-like ornaments, usually made from either wood or ivory. They hang objects such as medicine boxes or tobacco pouches from the sash of a kimono – a traditional form of Japanese dress. This figure is signed underneath with Japanese characters. These indicate the individual craftsman.

Details

Category:
Asian Medicine
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A69785
Materials:
ivory and complete
Measurements:
overall: 70 mm x 27 mm x 35 mm, .05kg
type:
netsuke
credit:
Glendining