Netsuke

Netsuke are small carvings made in Japan for over 400 years. They where functional objects. The traditional Japanese clothes, the kimono, had no pockets. But it had a sash (obi) around the waist. Any items that people wanted to carry with them where suspended from the sash with cords. A netsuke was tied to the cord above the sash to prevent the cord from slipping through. Most netsuke have two holes for the cord, called himotoshi.
The Japanese carried with them inro, tabacco pouches and pipes, tonkotsu and money pouches.
Netsuke are made from various materials. Such as ivory, boxwood and other woods, whale tooth, stag antler, boar tooth, bone, laquer and other materials.
The subjects are also various; animals, people, gods, plants, daily life, myths, legends, zodiac, etc. The size and shape of netsuke vary just as much as the subjects.
There are a lot of sites explaining the use of netsuke. See also my Links page.

Ojime

Ojime are beads used to fasten cords of inro, tonkotsu and other sagamono. The same materials and subjects as netsuke are used for ojime.

Tonkotsu

Tonkotsu are tabacco containers. The Japanese carried them with a netsuke or a kiseruzutsu. They contained very finely cut tabacco. Tonkotsu are made from various materials, like netsuke. Mostly wood, sometimes left natural, sometimes carved, laquered or inlaid.

Kiseruzutsu

Kiseruzutsu are pipe holders. There are a lot of different shapes and materials. They vary from plain wood to elaborate carved ivory or very finely laquered ones by the greatest artists. There funtion is to hold the kiseru (pipe for smoking) and also they function as a netsuke. They are stuck behind the obi and the tonkotsu or leather tabacco pouch is hanging from it. Like netsuke they have a himotoshi.

Kiseru

Kiseru are smoking pipes with a small bowl. The bowl and mouthpiece are mostly metal connected with a bamboe middle piece. Some are all metal. They can be plain or engraved. Or inlaid with multicolored metals. All kinds of metals are used for kiseru. Iron, brass, silver, gold and alloys.

Okimono

Okimono are small statues made for display. Often made of ivory and wood, but also various metals where used.