A small Japanese carving traditionally used as a toggle to secure a suspended container or pouch to the sash of a kimono.
A netsuke is a small Japanese carved object traditionally used as a toggle to secure a pouch, inrō, or other suspended container to the sash of a kimono. Netsuke were made in materials such as wood, ivory, horn, and sometimes metal.
Although functional in origin, netsuke developed into a highly sophisticated form of miniature sculpture. Subjects include human figures, animals, plants, masks, mythological beings, and scenes from everyday life, often compressed into remarkably compact and tactile compositions.
Etymology
From Japanese netsuke, literally “root attachment,” from ne, “root,” and tsuke, “attachment.”
Sculptor Notes
Netsuke demonstrate how much sculptural information can be compressed into a hand-sized object. Because they were handled and worn, their forms are often conceived in the round with particular attention to touch, continuity, durability, and the avoidance of awkward projections.
References
https://www.getty.edu/vow/AATFullDisplay?subjectid=300184865