Insect netsuke

I just finished proofreading a book about nineteenth-century Japanese antiquarians, and in it a book by an entomologist, Sasaki Chūjirō, was mentioned, titled Japanese Netsuke. I find no online reference to that book per se, so I do not know what he covered, but I did get curious to find out whether there are netsuke that feature insects. And of course there are! Those wacky Japanese.

First, let me quote an NPR article to explain just what this art form is: "Netsuke emerged in the late 17th century during Japan's Edo period, when men wore kimonos every day. Those garments didn't have pockets, so men stashed items such as pens, tobacco, or medicines in pouches or pillboxes, called inro, which hung from their kimono sashes, or obi, by cords. The containers were attached to one end of the cord; a netsuke was attached to the other, and served as an anchor, hooking over the obi. What could have been purely functional—like a toggle, button or zipper—became tiny works of art, eventually coveted by collectors in the U.S. and Europe after Japan opened up to the wider world in the late 1800s."

The mouse is on the inro; the decoration
at the end of the cord is the netsuke

Here are a few of the delightful insects I found (including, aptly this year of the 17, several cicadas), unfortunately without any details on when or by whom they were made—but aren't they beautiful? (Click to see them larger.)

 

And that last one could send me scouring the Web for netsuke featuring sea life and fish, but I think I'll leave it right there, with the bee, or is it a wasp, and what is it doing to that little crab anyway?