Nature, Pleasure, Myth Animals in the Art of Japan Part 5

Netsuke and Inrō The objects in this case reflect the influence of animals on Japanese craft and everyday life, especially during the Edo and early Meiji periods. The box-like, multipart cases are known as inrō (literally, “cages for seals or stamps”) and belong to a larger category of sagemono, or “hanging things,” which were akin to handbags or chatelaines, suspended from sashes on men’s robes, since traditional Japanese clothing lacked pockets. As the name implies, inrō most often contained identity seals and medicines, but could hold anything small. The most intricate and expensive of sagemono, they are composed of multiple pieces, all held together with a cord and an ojime, a type of bead, examples of which can be seen here. They were affixed to sashes with netsuke, a kind of toggle, which came in a variety of forms and materials, including precious metals, hardwoods, lacquer, bone, ivory, antlers, and even whale teeth. Makers of netsuke sought to maximize their profits, especially when using valuable materials like imported ivory. Thus tiny scraps left over from larger sculptural commissions were ideally suited to these small accessories, which became increasingly daring and elaborate, especially after the mid-eighteenth century, when the popularity of netsuke increased dramatically. Other small items, like okimono, a form of small decorative sculpture, an example of which is displayed here, also enabled carvers to minimize waste, though these works lacked the functional necessity of netsuke. With their intricate details and charming subject matter, these objects were prized by European and American collectors beginning in the nineteenth century, when the introduction of Western-style suits—complete with pockets—led to their disuse. Unknown artist, Japanese, active 19th century Netsuke: Dog under a Hat, 19th century, fruitwood Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James Barker (Margaret Clark Rankin, class of 1908) “The Margaret Rankin Barker - Isaac Ogden Rankin Collection of Oriental Art” Smith College Museum of Art, SC 1968:74 Ichiritsu (?), Japanese, active 19th century Netsuke: Kappa Carrying a Fish Trap of Octopus, 19th century, ivory Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James Barker (Margaret Clark Rankin, class of 1908) “The Margaret Rankin Barker - Isaac Ogden Rankin Collection of Oriental Art” Smith College Museum of Art SC 1968:91 Unknown artist, Japanese, active 19th century Netsuke of Mythical Turtle, Inrō and Ojime, probably 19th century, ivory netsuke, inrō of lacquered wood and brass ojime Gift of Marion van Vleck, class of 1911 Smith College Museum of Art, SC 1977:43-1 Ko-sei, Japanese, active 19th century Okimono in the Form of a Ball of Monkeys, 19th century, ivory Gift of Susan D. Bliss, AC 1959.28 Mitsu-hiro, Japanese, active 19th century Netsuke in the Form of an Octopus around an Octopus Trap, 19th century, ivory Gift of Susan D. Bliss, AC 1959.25 Ren-sai, Japanese, active 19th century Netsuke, 19th century, ivory Gift of Susan D. Bliss, AC 1959.24 Tomo-Nobu Japanese, active 19th century Netsuke of a Coiled Snake, 19th century, ivory Gift of Susan D. Bliss, AC 1959.17 Shigenaga Japanese, active 19th century Netsuke of Two Rabbits, Inrō and Ojime, 19th century, ivory netsuke, inrō of lacquered wood and coral (?) ojime Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James Barker (Margaret Clark Rankin, class of 1908) “The Margaret Rankin Barker - Isaac Ogden Rankin Collection of Oriental Art” Smith College Museum of Art, SC 1968:576 Oto-Mitsu Japanese, active 19th century Netsuke in the Form of Two Intertwined Serpents with Eggs, 19th century, ivory Gift of Susan D. Bliss, AC 1959.26 Unknown artist Japanese, active 18th century Netsuke: Two Monkeys, 18th century, ivory Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James Barker (Margaret Clark Rankin, class of 1908) “The Margaret Rankin Barker - Isaac Ogden Rankin Collection of Oriental Art” Smith College Museum of Art, SC 1968:77 Egoyomi While there were hundreds of licensed print publishers in Edo, only about a dozen publishing houses were permitted to print calendars. In response to this near-prohibition, artists and their publishers created egoyomi, literally “picture calendars,” a kind of surimono in which the sequence of long and short months, which changed annually as part of the lunar calendar, was cleverly hidden in the design. Animals played an important role egoyomi as they could, through their presence alone, convey the year of the zodiac. For example, the work by Shinkei represents the year of the rat, with the long and short months communicated through the relative size of the jewels, each of which is inscribed with a number. Similarly, the print by Hokusai is meant to represent the year of the monkey, with the long and short months denoted by the marks on toy, which are read from left to right. The design of the wooden horse is known as a moji-e, or “word picture,” for the way in which the characters for numbers actually serve as the outlines of the figure. Tawaraya Sōri Japanese, active mid- to late 18th century Egoyomi of an Ox Dreaming of Men, ca. 1800 Polychrome woodblock print Gift of William Green AC 1990.169 Shinkei Japanese, active 19th century Egoyomi of Daikoku's Mallet with White Rats and Jewels, 1840 Woodblock print Gift of William Green AC 1990.172 Unidentified artist Japanese, active 19th century Egoyomi Moji-e of a Toy Horse, 19th century Polychrome woodblock print Gift of William Green AC 1990.128 Katsushika Hokusai Japanese, 1760–1849 Egoyomi of a Monkey Playing with a Monkey Toy, 1800 Polychrome woodblock print on laid paper mounted on card Gift of William Green AC 1990.175 Shōzan (?) Japanese, active 19th century Eogoymi of a Boy Playing Flute on Back of Ox, 19th century Polychrome woodblock print with metallic elements Gift of William Green AC 1990.136 Sakuragawa Jihinari Japanese, 1767–1830 Surimono of Votive Painting of Bats in a Shibaraku Scene, Likely the Kabuki Actors Ichikawa Danjūrō VII and Ichikawa Raizō III, ca. 1821 Polychrome woodblock print Gift of William Green AC 2005.73 Shibaraku, literally “Wait a Moment!,” is one of the “Eighteen Great Plays” of kabuki theater. In an amusing variation, Sakuragawa’s portrayal of the characters as bats in flight lends the scene a sense of movement, liveliness, and humor. The play, written and first performed by Ichikawa Danjūrō I in 1692, is named for the repeated and pivotal line “Wait a moment!,” which marks a change in the situation from evil to good. In this scene, the evil daimyō Kiyohara Takehira and the powerful warrior Kamakura Gongorō Kagemasa face off in a flashy confrontation. Takehira holds the stolen official seals out of the warrior’s reach, while Gongorō, who sports the three concentric squares of the Ichikawa crest, challenges him. Sakuragawa, also an accomplished poet, has placed the bats in an ema, a kind of votive plaque used in New Year’s celebrations.