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()(Among the many Japanese Lobjets dLartLthat found their way to the Western world after JapanLs emergence --just a century ago-- from her long seclusion, few aroused greater admiration than the netsuke. These miniature sculptures, principally in ivory and wood, captivated collectors with the charm of their conception, the intricacy of their detail, and the sheer tactile pleasure to be experienced in handling them. Nevertheless, like the woodblock prints, they were held in rather low repute in the country of their origin, probably because they were basically utilitarian objects. They served, in fact, as pendants or toggles to support medicine boxes, tobacco pouches, and similar articles suspended by a cord from the obi. As Japanese custom became increasingly Westernized after the opening of the Meiji period, the netsuke went out of fashion and, almost at the same time, began to be sought by collectors and museums. One of the first collectors to produce a comprehensive study of the netsuke was F.M. Jonas, whose authoritative work --regrettably long out of print and extremely difficult to obtain-- is now being reissued for the pleasure of all who admire the exquisite artistry of the netsuke carvers. As Mr Jonas points out in his preface, his object is to put at the disposal of netsuke collectors a short account of their history and some explanation of the subjects they portray, as well as to supply a guide for determining the names of the carvers and the periods in which they worked. In achieving this goal, he has provided his readers not only with a storehouse of practical information but also with numerous interesting sidelights on the development of the plastic arts in Japan and with an attractive array of Japanese and Chinese legends from which the netsuke carvers drew their inspiration. By way of introduction, Mr. Jonas presents a concise summary of the epochs of Japanese sculpture and a description of the carving of masks for the No drama. One of the chief attractions of the book is its impressive set of illustrations. These consist of fifty-five photographic plates --nine of them in color-- picturing a total of 214 netsuke, ranging from the late 17th to the late 19th century. Also shown are a number of LinroL, the medicine or seal boxes to which the netsuke were attached to serve as pendants or toggles. The illustrations, together with the exhaustive appendix listing the known netsuke carvers, metal workers, and makers of inro, provide invaluable information for both collectors and students. It is a pleasure to bring his expert book once more before an audience which has discovered the fascinating art of the netsuke carvers and the infinite charm of their creations.) |
BASE de DATOS, Biblioteca del Centro Cultural de la Embajada de Japon
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