Netsuke – white beech
The Fish
The fish was my first attempt at Netsuke (from the Japanese ne+tsuke ‘root’ + ‘to attach’) which are miniature sculptures invented in 17th-centuryJapan to serve a practical function. Traditional Japanese garments had no pockets so men who wore them needed a place to store their personal belongings, such as pipes, tobacco, money, seals, or medicines.Their solution was to place such objects in containers (sagemono) hung by cords from the sash (obi). The containers may have been pouches or small woven baskets, but the most popular were beautifully crafted boxes (inro) which were held shut by sliding beads on cords (ojime). Whatever the form of the container, the fastener that secured the cord at the top of the sash was a carved, button-like toggle called a netsuke. I had seen one of these made from bone, however mine is made from white beech and I have also carved designs on each side in the centre of the fish.
The wood has been rubbed with very finely ground coffee beans to give it a slight colouration but also to enhance the scales. Swedish kolrossing uses this technique.
Woodchunks and Cotton Threads 