Natsukashi: masters of netsuke

The book is devoted to an unusual kind of Japanese miniature sculptures netsuke. Netsuke (ne - "root", tsuke - "attach") is a keychain, a kind of counterweight, by means of which the belt was worn by all sorts of small items. The need for such a device was caused by a lack in the Japanese national costume pockets. Having appeared in the XV century as a subject for domestic purposes, in the XVIII century netsuke turns into an independent art form that combines the features of the sculpture and decorative arts, has a specific set of forms, materials and range of subjects. The flowering of art netsuke came during the period of XVIII-XIX centuries, which can rightly be considered the "Golden age" of miniature sculpture. The book presents the biography of 239 natsukashi (netsuke carvers), who worked for nearly three centuries: from the mid-eighteenth to the late twentieth century.
First the reader will be able to meet with so many names, almost unknown in our country, to learn about the schools of carving and artistic dynasties, genres and stories most frequently found in netsuke. The book is richly illustrated, with an introduction and a brief Glossary of special terms, and the alphabetic principle on which it is based, allows you to quickly find the necessary information.