353 objects are described and illustrated in color. Includes brief biographies of 79 carvers.

Collectors' Netsuke

Bushell, Raymond

Weatherhill

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The Wonderful World of Netsuke: With 100 Masterpieces of Miniature Sculpture in Color

Arts & Photography

History & Criticism

Tuttle Pub

Photographs of selected netsuke accompany discussions of the origin, development and artistic value of the miniature Japanese sculptures

An Introduction to Netsuke

Roughly a century ago, when Japan emerged from the long seclusion of the Edo period and opened her doors to the West, a treasury of fascinating objets d'art was exposed to view. By no means the least fascinating among the discoveries by Westerners were the miniature works of art known as netsuke. These tiny masterpieces of sculpture (mostly in ivory and wood), of lacquer, and of metalwork captivated collectors with the charm of their conception, the intricacy of their detail, and the sheer tactile pleasure of handling them. Basically they were utilitarian in purpose, serving as toggles or pendants to support medicine boxes, to bacco pouches, and similar articles suspended by a cord from the obi. Originally primitive in design, they soon became more and more sophisticated, and their makers turned increasingly to the legendry of Japan for their subject matter. It is with these masterpieces in miniature that author-collector Raymond Bushell deals in The Wonderful World of Netsuke} picturing one hundred of them in color and offering a delightfully informative description of each. In so doing, he provides not only a visual treat but also an absorbing commentary on Japanese manners, customs, history, legends, and superstitions. Mr. Bushell, besides being an avid collector of netsuke, sword furnishings, and jade, is widely known for his adaptation from the Japanese of The Netsuke Handbook of Ueda Reikichi.

The Wonderful World of Netsuke: With One Hundred Masterpieces of Miniature Sculpture in Color

Sculpture

Wonderful World of Netsuke

Reference

Tuttle+publishing

In this volume (9th reprint) Mr. Bushell speaks primarily to the experienced collector, to the connoisseur, presenting discoveries, insights, and opinions derving from some two decades of research and finding cogent answers to some of the questions that have perplexed the netsuke world.

Decorative Arts & Design

This volume presents endless varieties of netsuke systematically categorized to serve as a principle guide for netsuke collectors.

Netsuke, Familiar and Unfamiliar: New Principles for Collecting

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Antiques & Collectibles

For collectors who have discovered the delights of such miniature Japanese art forms as the inro and the netsuke, this authoritative and enlightening book offers a wealth of valuable information. That it also affords entry to a world of fascinating design and superb craftsmanship goes without saying. In addition to illustrating in color and discussing in detail 108 distinguished inro and their accompanying netsuke, as well as 18 related miniature objects, it presents highly informative essays on the making of inro, on pearl shell inlays, and, in particular on the materials and techniques of lacquer art, the last of these with 62 color photos. It also furnishes an extensive list of lacquer artists' signatures with 386 photos. It is refreshing to have an author tell his readers not only what his book is but also what it is not. In his introduction Bushell says: "This book is addressed to the collector of inro, netsuke, and other forms of miniature Japanese art, with emphasis on works in lacquer. Its purpose is specific and limited. It is not a comprehensive study of lacquer. It is not a historical survey, a technical analysis, a comparative examination, or a compendium of terms and definitions. In point of time it is limited to the Tokugawa, Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa periods. In point of craft it is limited to the later development of precise and sophisticated techniques, with their brilliant decorative effects." Bushell points out that he is not making an unnecessary emotional appeal in praise of lacquer. His objective is far more practical. This book is the product of his efforts to understand the structure underlying the beauty of lacquer art and to provide clear and simple explanations. Because other books on the subject had not satisfied him, he undertook his own basic research, and here he presents the information he acquired through painstaking study with master lacquer craftsmen and other authorities.

Inro Handbook: Studies Of Netsuke, Inro, And Laquer

Masatoshi is the last netsuke carver to belong to the great tradition of Japanese craftsmanship, belonging, that is, in all particulars but one - this book; for never before has a master carver described himself, his training and his approach to his work. 
How does a carver choose his subjects? What influences his choice of materials? What tools does he use to carve with? How long does he spend polishing his work? Masatoshi shares his insights of a master carver, and more; he welcomes us into his realm of ghosts and goblins, owls and lizards, Kabuki heroes and Edo Period entertainers - all of them brought to life in the carver's descriptions of his own netsuke and in the carvings themselves, each one illustrated in color.

The Art of Netsuke Carving

Masatoshi

Netsuke are small toggles or buckles carved from wood or ivory. The Japanese in the seventeenth century used them to fasten pouches to their kimono belt, since kimonos had no pockets. This lavishly illustrated book takes the reader on an exciting tour of one type of netsuke—those carved to look like the masks used by stage actors.

Netsuke Masks

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Bushell, Raymond. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Bushell, Raymond

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Bushell, Raymond. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Collectors' Netsuke

The Wonderful World of Netsuke: With 100 Masterpieces of Miniature Sculpture in Color

An Introduction to Netsuke

The Wonderful World of Netsuke: With One Hundred Masterpieces of Miniature Sculpture in Color

Wonderful World of Netsuke

Collectors' Netsuke

Netsuke, Familiar and Unfamiliar: New Principles for Collecting

Inro Handbook: Studies Of Netsuke, Inro, And Laquer

The Art of Netsuke Carving

Netsuke Masks