Netsuke Japanese Life and Legend in Miniature [Paperback]

Edwin C. Symmes Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1995

Netsuke are exquisite reminders of three centuries of Japanese life. In tiny sculptural masterworks, most under two inches high and originally destined to keep the cord attached to a gentleman's snuffbox from slipping through the belt of his kimono, the myths, legends, and cultural history of Japan is recorded. Tiny Buddhas, grinning female poets of the sixteenth century, monkeys, jesters, and craftsmen beam their imperishable cheerfulness toward the viewer, taking the mystery of the ages in their tiny strides. Netsuke: Japanese Life and Legend in Miniatures features over seventy of these superb artifacts, along with fascinating background on the figure and the object or idea it represents.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Netsuke are Japanese miniature carvings originally designed to hold a purse or a set of nested boxes ( inro ) in place on the obi, or belt, of a man's kimono. The purpose of this absolutely delightful book is to "illuminate Japanese culture through photographs of netsuke with accompanying text." Symmes, the author/photographer, illustrates 72 netsuke and inro from the early 18th century through 1990, provides some technical detail and describes the legend behind each, and gives brief information on the artist, if known. The color plates are unusual in that the netsukes are photographed in appropriate settings (e.g., cranes in water near lily pads), enhancing their beauty without sacrificing detail. Short introductory chapters describe the history of netsuke and the art of netsuke carving. This work could serve as an introduction to Japanese life and culture for YAs or general readers, yet scholars will be interested in the high-quality illustrations. Highly recommended.
- Patricia R. Hausman, Coll. of William & Mary Lib., Williamsburg, Va.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Edwin C. Symmes, Jr., has been interested in Japanese culture since his early teens, when he discovered the art of bonsai. He has writtten one book on bonsai and produced four others, including the Guidebook to the National Bonsai Collection of the American National Arboretum. Mr. Symmes is also an award-winning designer and photographer whose work has appeared in publications worldwide. He has held one-man shows in Amsterdam and Washington D.C., as well as in other major cities.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing (September 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804820260
• ISBN-13: 978-0804820264
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,500,249 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Visual Masterpiece for the Netsuke Enthusiast, May 3, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Pomona, California, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Netsuke Japanese Life and Legend in Miniature (Paperback)

Symmes does a wonderful job of composing this text. He gives a nice history of netsuke, covering the span of time from feudal Japan to the present. He includes a small section on netsuke manufacture, and another on photographic techniques for macro photography and design, and then the text opens into a wonderful collection of full-page photographs of several varied and incredible pieces, some dating back to the seventeenth century. He includes brief descriptions of the netsuke, although he could have elaborated on the Japanese (and Chinese) fables that inspired many of these creations for Western audiences. Many of the pieces in this book are available today in reproduction form, and the netsuke are composed of several different materials, not just the "typical" ivory or wood. This text is a must have for any collector, beginning or advanced, as it will inspire readers to research their private collections as well as create the desire to build them! The reproduction of detail from the photographs is amazing!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A story goes with each netsuke, September 16, 2004

By 

Christine Saalbach (San Antonio TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Netsuke Japanese Life and Legend in Miniature (Paperback)

As author Symmes says, netsukes have the "power to influence people and pocketbooks." This statement is true in several aspects. First, the collector of netsukes will find that they are expensive. Second, the purpose of a netsuke is to fasten an "inro," or case holding valuables, to an obi or belt. "Ne" translates as "root" and "tsuke" translates as "to fasten." An inro's cords are held tightly by an "ojime," or bead, to keep it closed and the netsuke keeps the inro from falling off of the wearer.

The highly-detailed photographs of netsukes are in harmony with the scenery and objects surrounding them, so lusciously artistic that you may consider framing them.

HIH Prince Norihito of Takamado, who wrote this book's foreward, says he looks for "warmth, wit, and a certain twist" in his own netsuke collection. To fully appreciate a netsuke, "hold it, feel it, and examine it closely in one's hand."

Netsuke figures have stories associated with them. Many figures are puns in which the same word may have several meanings. For example, monkey is "saru" which is pronounced the same as "to leave," so it would be unlucky to marry in a monkey year.

If you are not familiar with Asian astrology, this book will teach you much about the associated legends. One tale that fascinated me was about Daruma, the 28th patriarch of Zen Buddhism. Daruma meditated for 9 years, sitting so long that his legs lost their strength. My sister, who lived in Japan for many years, sent me a wooden Daruma doll with two blank eyes. When you knock over the Daruma doll, it pops back upright, reflecting an undaunted spirit. Here's what you are supposed to do with a Daruma doll: you color one eye to make a prayer, then you color the other one when the prayer is answered.

You'll learn much about Japanese life and legend from studying these tiny netsukes -- and Symmes provides us with a fun way to learn.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The power of netsuke, March 26, 2007

By 

Zack Davisson "japanreviewed" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Netsuke Japanese Life and Legend in Miniature (Paperback)

This book is a lot like the netsuke themselves. At first, it looks like it might be something interesting, so you pick it up, look a little closer, and...you are inside a whole different world. Something deceptively simple shows itself to have hidden depths.

I had been interested in netsuke for awhile, ever since buying a little ivory sumo in an antique shop in Japan one day. There was something about the miniature wrestler that fascinated me, and I found myself going back to the shop over and over again, just to look at it. I finally knew that, even though it was expensive, it had to be mine.

This is much like the feeling that author Edwin Symmes describes, leading me to believe that it must be a universal experience amongst netsuke appreciators. He is someone who loves the stories behind the tiny figures, who tries to find their personality rather than figure out their rarity or value. In "Netsuke: Japanese Life and Legend in Miniature", he combines his fascination with his skills in photography, creating small vignettes incorporating the figures with appropriate settings, such as an ivory tiger emerging from real bamboo, or a wooden Daruma nestled inside a rock cave. Next to each image is a story, detailing the legends behind the figure, or maybe a little something about the carver, something that you wouldn't know just by looking but which deepens the understanding and appreciate of the figure.

What this book is not is a collector's guide to netsuke. Anyone new to the art form, and looking for a "How to.." guide to give them tips as what to look for, isn't going to find that here. Not that it is entirely lacking in practical information. There are sections describing the history of netsuke, their original use and their evolution, but that is not the focus. To those who's interest lies in photography, Symmes includes a fascinating section on photographing netsuke. But the real joy lies in looking at the pictures, reading the stories, and sharing the love of netsuke that radiates from this book.