netsuke in Japanese

A small, often collectible, artistic carving characterized by an opening or two small holes (紐通し), most commonly made of wood or ivory, used as a fob at the end of a cord attached to a suspended pouch containing pens, medicines, or tobacco. Netsuke originated in feudal Japan in the late 16th and 17th centuries.

A small, often collectible, artistic carving characterized by an opening or two small holes (紐通し), most commonly made of wood or ivory, used as a fob at the end of a cord attached to a suspended pouch containing pens, medicines, or tobacco. Netsuke originated in feudal Japan in the late 16th and 17th centuries.