International Netsuke Society Email Archive

INS SoCA Chapter - Meeting Schedule for 2013, A Few Things to Think About & A Request for Your Feedback, Please!

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 11:00:00 GMT

A Belated . . . .

I had hoped to have a Year-End Holiday Meeting, but events in December overtook. Hoping you all enjoyed your holidays - now, but a distant memory.

I would like to get some input from our membership, and from those who have shown an interest, in our SoCA INS Chapter, for use in planning our 2013 Meeting Schedule, and some other things.

Here are some questions, mixed in with comments - please let me hear your thoughts:

1- I did not charge dues so far - I think that we need to have dues paid now so that we can tackle the issue of a suitable meeting venue - my idea is to find a local restaurant in West LA, where we can reserve a meeting room. To do that, we need: a) funds available, and b) attendance commitments, as we will have to guarantee a certain number of people to hold a room. How much should those dues be?

2- I wanted to have a meeting for members to Show, Tell & Trade with one another by now, but we got on a regular schedule of lectures from various dealers coming to town, and we never got around to the idea. These types of meetings were held in the past, and I have talked to enough of you to know that there is interest in doing it again. I also have been monitoring the CA legal situation, as there was uncertainty earlier last year about protection of antique ivory in this state. In fact, that concern and resulting uncertainty have played a big role in our not having had a meeting for longer now than I would have preferred, as I had hoped that I could give you some definitive information by now. I wish that I had more to tell you about the CA legal situation, but, other than that things having died down considerably in the latter half of 2012, and a bunch of unconfirmed rumors that state authorities were reconsidering some rash, bold and likely illegal moves made earlier last year (and even apologizing for them!), the whole issue has receded into (uncomfortable, to me) silence and uncertainty, once again. I believe it would be great fun to have a Show, Tell & Trade Meeting for members only. What do you think? What other meeting ideas do you have? How do you feel about having the occasional dealer, or other visiting authority or academic, come to lecture us in future meetings? One thing that I learned (painfully) last year was that my encouraging our members to bring their own netsuke to show and compare with other members, came into direct collision with the expectations of at least one lecturing dealer, who was less than happy about having members' netsuke competing with netsuke which that dealer brought for sale. We do have to remember that, if a dealer comes to lecture us and incurs the expense in so doing, they do have a reasonable expectation that the netsuke which they bring, should be able to viewed and considered without competition from our members' own netsuke. My mistake in not seeing that before it happened.

3- I have read many old Journal reports of meetings of this chapter at which 40, 50, and even in one case, over 90 people, attended. I would appreciate all input on how we can go about re-building our INS So CA Chapter to assure larger attendance.

4- My thought, also from those old Journal reports, is that four Sunday afternoon, or Saturday afternoon, meetings per calendar year would be a good year's schedule. Now, because the INS Convention is set for early May 2013 this year in London, we have to give some attention to how to space out those meetings properly, and to assure our best attendance. Please let me know whether you prefer Saturday afternoons, or Sunday afternoons - (noon to 3pm) and also please let me know dates and time periods in which we should not schedule a meeting, such as August, which is a month when many take vacations.

5- Please share with me what else is good, what else is bad, and any other thoughts which you may have for making our INS So CA Chapter grow, and thrive again.

Your responses can be discretely directed to me only, if you wish, and you can be as candid as you like. I do, however need and appreciate your thoughts and input.

We cannot please everybody, but we will surely try to please as many as possible if we can get your input on these questions.

I appreciate your anticipated cooperation in sharing your thoughts on these topics and any others on which you have ideas.

As for our location for future meetings, if anybody would like to volunteer their home as a location, please let me know and we will figure out a way to make the location known without unduly publicizing your home address if you wish to keep that private (& I don't blame you, if you do). If you know of a restaurant with a meeting room which does not charge an arm and a leg for use of that meeting room, along with a meal, kindly let me know of the restaurant and any contact person there with whom you believe I should speak, in order to make arrangements.

Thanks in advance, and I look forward to seeing all of you again soon.

P.S. If any member would like to speak on a topic of their own interest at a meeting, or you think some other member might be willing to speak on a topic on which they have particular knowledge, kindly let me know that too!

P.P.S. If you want your future communications concerning our INS SoCA Chapter and meetings sent to you at a 'bcc'd' address (as I am doing with at least one member, who requests that his email address not be distributed) please let me know that too.

&, if I have missed anybody who should be on our emailing list, please let me know that too.

with
Kindest Regards,
David
David S. White

Chair,

International Nestuke Society SoCA Chapter

INS Seattle Chapter Summer Meeting on Aug 5th

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 23:17:33 GMT

Seattle Chapter Summer Meeting

INS Seattle Members rejoice.

Our INS summer luncheon meeting is Sunday, August 5th, 1 p.m., at Sand Point Country Club. Phone Karen Knudson 206-528-9870 for address.

Our SPEAKER will be Eric Knudson who will continue his presentation,"NETSUKE IN RUSSIA"

with a power-point photo presentation to make you wish you were there.

As an added attraction we invite you to join member Robert Hayden, bringing your NETSUKE MASKS, for show & tell.

Professor Hayden has specialized in MASKS for some years now and has some excellent examples.

RSVP by the end of NOW!

Richard Hieronymus <rhmusic_netsuke@interisland.net>

Phone (360) 378-3556

Summer Journal Is On Its Way . . .

The summer issue of the International Netsuke Society Journal is being shipped this coming week so keep your eyes open for your quarterly netsuke-reading fix in the mail!

Visit Netsuke.org

Join the conversation at the Forums!

Newest Forum Topics:

Shosui, lacquer artist?

Kind request for your help

Tour of Ise Masanao Country...

SHUNGA NETSUKE

Count Darumcula!

Does anyone have any information about this piece/artist?

Identifying shunga netsuke

Fine Signed Netsuke - Help Needed

Hida School Ittobori Carvers...

Bunbuku chagama

Southern California Chapter meeting

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:56:31 GMT

Dear Chapter Members and Guests,

Our INS SoCA Chapter will be having a meeting this Sunday, Feb. 26, from High Noon to 3PM, at Loyola Marymount University, at the William H. Hannon Library, located at One LMU Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045-2659,

This will be a very special meeting, where we will be able to see, and discuss, the Kinsey Contemporary Netsuke Collection, and Contemporary Netsuke, in general. Richard Silverman, our very own INS Chapter's world class authority on Contemporary Netsuke will be our lecturer, and Ms. Cynthia Becht, Head, Archives and Special Collections of LMU's William H. Hannon Library, will be our Host. Please bring white gloves if you have them; if you don't, there should be enough in supply.

Sorry for the later than usual notice, but the access details were a bit tricky, due to LMU being on Spring Break
- remember Spring Break?
- I suspect that this looks harder than it really will be . . . .

Here's what you need to know, to gain access,
after you figure out how to get to the LMU Campus and the William H. Hannon Library on the LMU Campus:
- this link may help those who use Google Maps http://maps.google.com/
- paste the link below into your Browser,
or go on Google Maps and type
"LMU William H. Hannon Library," and that should also do the trick:

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?q=LMU%27s+William+H.+Hannon+Library&hl=en&cid=1711250124143114348

- The front door of the William H. Hannon Library should be open;.
- An LMU Public Safety Officer will be on guard at this front door to let only attendees to our INS SoCA Chapter Meeting inside.
- Once inside, please take the elevators or stairs up two floors to the top (third) floor.
- The Von der Ahe Suite will be open; that is where we will be meeting.
- Both Ms. Becht and I will be on the third floor, awaiting your arrival.

I am copying Ms. Becht with this notice, to make sure that I understand these instructions correctly and have explained them understandably.

I sincerely hope that all of you can make it to the meeting this Sunday. If I have missed anybody by cutting and pasting the email list once too often, please let them, and me, know!

with Kindest Regards,
David

David S. White
INS SoCA Chapter Chair
12401 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 200
Los Angeles CA 90025-1089
dsw90049@gmail.com
O: 310-571-0300
F: 310-571-0707
C: 310-721-7345

New York Chapter Meeting

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:05:34 GMT

Please join the NEW YORK Chapter of the INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY

at its next meeting:

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Szechuan Chalet

1395 Second Avenue (near 72nd/73rd Streets)

Restaurant phone: 212-737-1838

Our speaker at this meeting will be our own NYC chapter member, Dieuwke Eijer, who is also the author of the book Kagamibuta: Mirrors of Japanese Life and Legend. The topic of Dieuwke’s presentation will be Serial work in Kagamibuta. Here are Dieuwke’s comments about the talk she will present:

I will discuss three types of serial work in kagamibuta. There are the identical kagamibuta, that look like they came out of a mold, almost ready to be sold. And then there are pieces that show a partially identical image, while the rest of each of those kagamibuta is more or less individually decorated. Some techniques encourage serializing and we do see them being used in these two groups. A third group consists of images that definitely go back to one design, but the kagamibuta are manufactured in such techniques that make each of these kagamibuta a unique piece. Thus we may not realize, that they are – in a way – part of a series. If you have a kagamibuta in your collection that you suspect of being serial work, bring it!

If you have any other netsuke you would like to bring with you, please feel free to bring them.

Dieuwke’s talks are always extremely interesting and informative, so please come join us at our meeting.

Please also bring cash for your food/drink.

RSVP to: Jeffrey Klotz, 973-616-2988 or jklotz@takaraasianart.com

Best regards,

Jeffrey

New York Chapter Meeting

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:08:08 GMT

Please join the NEW YORK chapter of the INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY

at its next meeting: Sunday, December 4, 2011, at 2:00 P.M.

at Szechuan Chalet

1395 Second Avenue (near 72nd/73rd Streets)

Restaurant phone: 212-737-1838

It's time, once again, for our own Bob Goode to present his annual junishi (zodiac) lecture. The zodiacal animal for the coming year is the dragon. The dragon is one of the most common supernatural creatures found in both Western and Eastern Mythology. Bob will discuss the role of the dragon in the culture of China and Japan, with emphasis on the many ways it is represented in antique and contemporary netsuke .

If you have any dragon netsuke or any other netsuke you would like to share with our group, please bring them to the meeting.

Please also bring cash for your food/drink.

Please RSVP to: Jeffrey Klotz, 973-616-2988 or jklotz@takaraasianart.com

I hope you will join us there.

Jeffrey

Next SoCA Meeting in Los Angeles

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:11:31 GMT

The next INS SoCA Chapter Meeting is on Sunday, November 13, 2011, from noon, sharp, to 3 P.M.
We will be meeting this time at Richard Silverman's condo, which Richard has graciously offered for our use. Jeff Klotz, of Takara Asian Art (www.takaraasianart.com), will be our Guest Lecturer. Jeff's topic will be the cutting-edge work of Clive Hallam. If you have any of Clive's work, please bring it to the meeting so that we can discuss it!

So that we can be sure to have seating for all, please RSVP for your attendance at this meeting ASAP when you receive this email. And please, bring a friend!

We will not be meeting in crowded restaurants any more, and we need your attendance to re-build this Chapter. If you missed our October Chapter meeting, where Paul Moss gave (not one, not two, but . . . ) three, separate PowerPoint lectures, you missed a very good one, but we had about half of the number that we could have had.
Please try very hard to make this one, and you won't be sorry!

Parking is free on the Beverly Hills, West side of Doheny - not on the East side (West Hollywood side), but you can also valet park at Richard's building.

Richard Silverman's address is:
838 N. Doheny Dr., No. 1102,

West Hollywood, CA 90069
The meeting room is right off the first floor lobby.

Hope to see you all there!

with Kindest Regards,
David

INS SoCA Chapter Chair
12401 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 200
Los Angeles CA 90025-1089
dsw90049@gmail.com
O: 310-571-0300
F: 310-571-0707
C: 310-721-7345

New INS Website to go active

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:00:00 GMT

On or about Monday, October 17, 2011, the new INS website will go active. In an attempt to keep up with the latest in Internet technology, we are moving to a platform with newer technology via www.wildapricot.com.

Here are a few things you might need to know:

The new site has been reorganized for a more logical access, but contains all of the old contents.

In the Members Only part of the site, you will be able to check, control, add, and change your contact information, as well as select who can see this information and more. We encourage all Members to check it out and update their information and settings as appropriate.

Members who don’t have email addresses, or have not registered them with us, will still be contacted via snail mail.

Members who do have email addresses will be able to manage their membership themselves via Wild Apricot (WA). WA will send out renewal notices and the member will be able to click on a link to our website to pay their dues online. The member will receive an automated receipt and will be sent a notification of the renewal and transaction details.

We know that privacy is a key concern for all of us. By default, WA does not display or disclose any member’s profile or personal information in any way, without the member explicitly giving their approval. By default, a member’s profile is not shown in any online directory. A member will need to explicitly change their profile settings if they would like to have their information shown in the online directory which will only be accessible to other members in good standing. The Directory Publication preferences are listed in each person’s Profile page and members can choose to be included or not. We hope this puts everyone at ease.

To view or change your settings, you go to: www.netsuke.org, then: View Profile -> Edit Profile -> Privacy -> Allow to show online -> and then click on as many details as you would like to be displayed. You can also add your avatar image in the profile section.

You will be getting two versions of this email, this one from Constant Contact, and one from us via Wild Apricot, telling you how to start.

We will be able to send out eBlasts from within this new system, removing the need for a separate eBlast system (now Constant Contact).

We hope you and the rest of the netsuke world will visit the site, see what it offers, and see how you and the Society can benefit from it.

Norman L. Sandfield

INS Webmaster

Website Update

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 01:05:00 GMT

Good News!

Our INS Website, www.netsuke.org, which has been down since last Friday (depending upon your time zone), will be back up within the next 24-48 hours. Aisha Buntin, who is our hands-on Website Technician, as been on top of it since the outage initially occurred.

The indirect cause involved the process of allowing us to switch to our new website service. The direct cause is several levels of miscommunication from one of the services we use.

We thank you for your patience, and apologize for any inconvenience and confusion. To those Members who notified us as soon as they noticed the problem, a very special thanks!

We will be going through the transition to our brand-new website, hosted on Wild Apricot, on or about Monday, October 17. Again, the transition will occur at an unpredictable time during a 48-hour window, the specific time being out of our control.

Around that date, most of you will be getting two emails from us. One from the new Wild Apricot website, telling you in detail how to see and change your contact information and settings (opt-in, opt-out, etc.). A very similar email through Constant Contact will tell you the same things. We will all go through the rest of the learning curve together, with the ultimate goal of better service at a state-of-the-art Internet service!

Lest you think we are uniquely at fault here, I wish to quote from a story in yesterday’s news: “Bank of America says its website is back to normal after technical problems caused two days of sporadic outages.”

Sincerely,

Norman L. Sandfield

INS Web Master

Revised Los Angeles Chapter Meeting - New Venue

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 01:30:03 GMT

WE HAVE OFFICIALLY CHANGED OUR MEETING VENUE FOR OUR FIRST FALL INS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER MEETING ON THIS COMING SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2011, TO ACCOMMODATE PAUL MOSS' LECTURE MORE COMFORTABLY!!

I have reserved a meeting room at the Marriott Residence Inn Hotel located at 1177 S. Beverly Dr. (@ the NW corner of Pico - right down the street from where we had the INS Convention last May) from noon to 3pm. Because I have been living at this hotel since last April (lucky me), they slashed the price to a true bargain of only $243.50 (from $500)
- I will take care of the payment later today; if anybody would like to chip in on the cost, please let me know! All contributions gratefully accepted. I have also ordered a PowerPoint projector for Paul Moss' talk.

Residence Inn Beverly Hills

1177 South Beverly Drive · Los Angeles, California 90035 USA

We will not be serving food, so please have a hearty brunch before you come.

Here's the information on the hotel:

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/laxrb-residence-inn-beverly-hills/

Directions are here:

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/maps/travel/laxrb-residence-inn-beverly-hills/

Street parking on Beverly and adjacent streets (Smithwood, behind the hotel) is free on Sunday, but, if you park in the hotel it is expensive and we can't validate.

I hope that those of you who were not coming, due to not liking the Cheesecake Factory as a meeting venue, will now be able to attend!
Again, if I have missed anybody, please let them know!

Thanks & See you very soon.
with Kindest Regards,
David White
INS SoCA Chapter Chair
12401 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 200
Los Angeles CA 90025-1089
dsw90049@gmail.com
O: 310-571-0300
F: 310-571-0707
C: 310-721-7345

New York Chapter Meeting

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Please join the NEW YORK chapter of the INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY

at its next meeting: Sunday, October 9, 2011 2:00 P.M.

Szechuan Chalet

1395 Second Avenue (near 72nd/73rd Streets)

Restaurant phone: 212-737-1838

I will present a talk on Clive Hallam and his work. Clive is one of the most talented and innovative artists carving netsuke today. Furthermore, both he and his work are exceptionally interesting.

I will present some background information about Clive, give some information about his perspective on carving netsuke, and show pictures of some of his work.

If you have any netsuke that were carved by Clive or any other netsuke you would like to share with our group, please bring them to the meeting.

Please also bring cash for your food/drink.

RSVP to: Jeffrey Klotz, 973-616-2988 or jklotz@takaraasianart.com

INS Journal Mailed

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:00:00 GMT

The INS Journal is being mailed on Thursday, August 25th. All subscribers should know that no requests for replacements will be considered until the end of September, due to the slow delivery by various postal authorities. We have already had inquiries "where's my Journal?" since some people assumed a July or early August delivery. Eric and Karen Knudson, who are responsible for these issues, will be unavailable for the next few weeks, and are not able to reply to emails about deliveries.

We all appreciate your patience!

===============================================

Norman L. Sandfield

INS Constant Contact Email Blast Master

INS Directory

Sat, 18 Jun 2011 16:30:00 GMT

This email is very important to the International Netsuke Society and to you!!

The INS will be publishing a membership directory this summer. If you are an INS member and you wish your membership information (or part of it) to be included in the directory, you will be receiving an email (if you have an email address) or a postcard (if you have no email address listed with us) which lists your current information that will be published in the directory. If the information is incorrect or if you wish to make changes to what will be published, you need to reply to Karen and Eric Knudson (netsukesociety@gmail.com) with changes. If you are not a current member of the INS, but wish to be included in the membership directory, you will need to join the INS.

If you want your information printed correctly, you must reply by the deadline of Wednesday, JULY 20, 2011!

The 2011 INS Membership Directory will be printed on August 1, 2011.

All replies should be sent to netsukesociety@gmail.com

This will be the first printed Membership Directory since 2008.

•1. Are you a member? If not, you will not receive a directory.
•2. Is your membership current? If not, you will not be in the directory.
•3. Do you wish to have your spouse's name included?
•4. If there have been any changes since your last renewal (email address, mailing address, telephone number, spouse, etc., etc.) please notify us.
•5. We recognize that certain members do not wish their information included in the directory. If you wish to change this or publish only certain information, please reply.
•6. If you are not certain about any of these questions, please reply.

===============================================

Norman L. Sandfield

INS Constant Contact Email Blast Master

Seattle Chapter Meeting with Eric Knudsen

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:00:00 GMT

International Netsuke Society – Seattle Chapter

Dear Members:

Our Spring INS Seattle Chapter meeting will be on Sunday, June 26, 2011, at 1 PM,

Please RSVP as below or phone Karen Knudson for details and directions. (206) 528-9870

We will meet in the 3rd floor dining room. (Take the elevator to right of the entrance.)
Lunch is available for purchase at $15 -$22 each. Bar will be open.
Please bring cash for your lunch to give to Karen Knudson, who will pay for all the lunches simultaneously.

Guest speaker, Eric Knudson, will give a power-point slide show presentation of lacquer-ware, netsuke and inro from the Charles Greenfield collection.
Members with lacquer netsuke and inro in their collection please bring pieces with you for show and tell.
Also bring your newest or most prized netsuke with history of carver.

If you have netsuke of your own to sell to our members at reasonable prices let me know by return email and I’ll set up a side table in the dining room for viewing.

I’m looking forward to seeing you all there. And of course, bring along any of your netsuke loving friends.

RSVP
Richard Hieronymus
Seattle Chapter President
Phone (360) 378-3556
E-mail RHmusic_netsuke@interisland.net

New York Chapter Meeting

Tue, 31 May 2011 16:30:00 GMT

Please join the NEW YORK chapter of the INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY at its next meeting:

Sunday, June 12, 2011

2:00 pm

Szechuan Chalet

1395 Second Avenue (near 72nd/73rd Streets)

Restaurant phone: 212-737-1838

Four of our New York chapter members attended the INS Convention in Los Angeles. Two or three of us will present a report on the convention. In addition, I will present a sixth installment of Netsuke Questions and Answers (Formerly called "Is that your Final Answer?")

As in the prior installments, I will offer examples of netsuke depicting subjects and, in some cases, objects or materials that many collectors would find challenging to identify. Please bring any netsuke you have that show subjects, objects or materials that you haven't been able to identify or that you think others may find challenging to identify. As always, if you have any other netsuke you would like to show to our other members, please bring them as well.

Please also bring cash for your food/drink.

RSVP to: Jeffrey Klotz, 973-616-2988 or netsuke@takaraasianart.com

Best Regards,

Jeff

Convention Reminder

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:30:00 GMT

The 2011 Beverly Hills Netsuke Convention
May 20^th - 25^th, 2011

The Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills, California

This is the last e-Blast for the INS Convention.

If you have already registered, we look forward to seeing you in Beverly Hills. We hope to send out confirmation notes this week or next to those who have already registered.

If you haven't yet registered, there is only one month until the Beverly Hills Convention.

Details and Schedule here:

http://www.netsuke.org/Convention2011/Intro.htm

Registration Form here:

http://www.netsuke.org/Convention2011/INS2011RegistrationForm.pdf

Great lectures, workshops, and dealer exhibitions - Don't miss it.

If you have registered we look forward to seeing you in Beverly Hills...

If you are coming and have any netsuke by Soshin or Masasada, Jay Hopkins would very much appreciate you bringing them to share in his workshop, due to the rarity of these artists.

Thanks,

Marsha Vargas Handley, President

New York Chapter Meeting

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Welcome to the newly formatted email blasts for the International Netsuke Society. Over the next few month, we hope to be able to add some more photos and graphics.

Please join the NEW YORK chapter of the INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY

at its next meeting during New York's Asia Week:

Laura J. Mueller will be giving a talk and PowerPoint presentation, entitled "Adornment in Clay: The Rise of Ceramic Netsuke." Laura is an Independent Scholar and Curator, who curated the exhibition and authored the catalogue Adornment in Clay: Ceramic Netsuke from the Richard R. Silverman Collection (2010) at the Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio.

Laura is also curator and author of Beauty & Bravado in Japanese Woodblock Prints: Highlights from the Gillett G. Griffin Collection (2009) at Princeton University; and Strong Women, Beautiful Men: Japanese Portrait Prints from the Toledo Museum of Art (2005), at the Toledo Museum of Art. She is a doctoral candidate in Japanese art history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has spent more than six years living, studying, and researching in Japan.

Our meeting will be held on Sunday, March 20th from 10:45 A.M. until noon at Bonham's New York, at 580 Madison Avenue. Bonham's will not be open to the public at 10:45 A.M., but if you come to the front entrance, there will be someone there to let you in and direct you to the Main Gallery, downstairs, where we will be meeting. Please arrive between 10:45 A.M. and 11:00 A.M. Laura's presentation will begin at 11:00 A.M., promptly. The general public will be allowed into the Main Gallery at noon.

From noon until 5:00 P.M. Bonham's will have a preview of their auction of "Fine Japanese Works of Art," including a selection of netsuke and inro. To see pictures of pieces from the auction go to this webpage: http://www.bonhams.com/usa/auction/19121/ RSVP to: Jeffrey Klotz, 973-616-2988 or netsuke@takaraasianart.com

Convention Reminder

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:00:00 GMT

If you have not registered for the INS Convention in Las Angeles, NOW IS THE TIME! CLICK HERE for more information

See Updated Schedule here.

Sincerely,
Marsha Vargas Handley
President. International Netsuke Society

2011 Beverly Hills Convention - Register by Feb. 1st for $100 discount

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:00:00 GMT

International Netsuke Society Convention

The 2011 Beverly Hills Convention, May 20 - 25, 2011

You can save $100 by registering before February 1^st!

February 1, 2011 is the deadline for INS members to register for the Convention at a discounted price. The program will include workshops ranging from “Netsuke on a Budget” to lectures on “Kokusai” and “Bokuto.” Beverly Hills is not to be missed.

The 2011 INS Convention will be at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, from May 20-25, 2011. Click the ‘Convention’ tab on the INS website (www.netsuke.org), or HERE, for the registration information. Click HERE for the Registration Form. If you get the July 2009 NYC’s Convention page just click once more. Please print and mail to the address given.

This EMAIL BLAST is to also remind you to renew your INS Membership if it is due so you can partake of the special Convention registration fee. We hope you are planning on attending the 2011 Convention and will take advantage of this opportunity to save money and register early. We anticipate a very good attendance with registrations being received and the dealer’s exhibition room almost filled.

Last, but not least, if you have been considering joining INS, now is the time to do so as well as registering for the Convention of the Century!

Hotel Reservations should be made directly with the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, 9500 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

NOTE: NEW TOLL FREE TELEPHONE NUMBER AND DIRECT FAX NUMBER.

Reservations Dept., Tel: 800-332-3442 , Fax: 310-275-5986.

Special group rate for INS Convention - $295/double.

New York Chapter Meeting

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Please join the NEW YORK chapter

of the INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY at its next meeting:

Sunday, January 16, 2011

2:00 pm

Szechuan Chalet

1395 Second Avenue (near 72nd/73rd Streets)

Restaurant phone: 212-737-1838

For this meeting, members of our chapter will bring some netsuke from their collections and talk a little bit about them. Everyone is welcome to attend this meeting, whether or not they bring any netsuke with them. However, everyone is also encouraged to bring netsuke from their own collections, whether they are your favorite netsuke, your first netsuke, your only netsuke, netsuke that are peculiar in some way, pieces about which you have some questions, or pieces that you may find interesting for any reason. A number of people have already said they will be bringing some netsuke to the meeting. So, please come join us to see some of the netsuke other collectors will bring. And, perhaps, show others one or more of your netsuke.

Please also bring cash for your food/drink.

RSVP to: Jeffrey Klotz, 973-616-2988 or jklotz@takaraasianart.com

2011 Convention Registration Reminder

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 17:00:00 GMT

International Netsuke Society Convention

The 2011 Beverly Hills Convention, May 20 - 25, 2011

You can save $100 by registering soon!

February 1, 2011 is the deadline for INS members to register for the Convention at the lower price.

The 2011 INS Convention will be at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California from May 20-25, 2011. Click the ‘Convention’ tab on the INS website (www.netsuke.org), or HERE, for the registration information. Click HERE for the Registration Form. If you get the July 2009 NYC’s Convention page just click once more. Please print and mail to the address given.

This EMAIL BLAST is to remind you to renew your INS Membership if it is due so you can partake of the special Convention registration fee. We hope you are planning on attending the 2011 Convention and will take advantage of this opportunity to save money and register early. We anticipate a very good attendance with registrations being received and the dealer’s exhibition room almost filled.

Last, but not least, if you have been considering joining INS, now is the time to do so as well as registering for the Convention of the Century!

Hotel Reservations should be made directly with the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, 9500 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212,

Reservations Dept., Tel: 310-275-5200, Fax: 310-274-2851, Special group rate for INS Convention - $295/double.

================================

Norman Sandfield

netsuke@sandfield.org

INS Email Blast Coordinator

218 More Museums with Netsuke and Inro for You to Visit!

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 17:00:00 GMT

218 More Museums with Netsuke and Inro for You to Visit!

In another step forward in adding useful content to the INS website, this week we have enlarged the list of Museums from ten to 218! We believe that most of these museums contain netsuke, inro, and related items in their collections. Some of these netsuke are in storage, some are on display, and some of them are available on their website.

The links to their websites, when available, as most are, should allow you to obtain the latest contact information. These links are not hyperlinks, but you can use them by copying and pasting them in your URL bar. We hope to make them active links next year.

Go to: http://www.netsuke.org/museum_collections.htm

The museums are generally organized in alphabetic order within Continent, Country, and State.

For more information on most of these Museums and their collections, netsuke-related books and articles about them can be found in The Ultimate Netsuke Bibliography (TUNB, the book), Chapter 13: Museums, with even more at TUNB online at www.internetsuke.com/tunb. Extensive searches might be necessary due to museum name changes since the original publication (1999), and various translations of museum names into English at different times. Searches by geographic location might be very helpful.

Some of these museums may have hosted a netsuke or netsuke-related exhibit in the past, with some publication that is documented in The Ultimate Netsuke Bibliography (TUNB), book or updated on-line, but they may not actually have any netsuke in their collections today.

Much of this data was compiled over the last twenty-five years by Norman L. Sandfield in direct correspondence with the Museums. Since this list has been compiled from many different resources, the format of the records will be different. We are not able to confirm all of the data, thus corrections and updates are always welcome.

There are a number of various correct ways the word netsuke is spelled in non-English languages: Necuke, netsuke, netskes, netsukes, netzke, and netzkes. REF: TUNB, page 344. There are also many ways to spell ‘museum’ in different languages. Thus, there will probably be museums on the Internet that have not yet been found, because of spelling variations that Google did not catch.

At the front and end of the list are other museum resources, and possible museum resources, for lovers of netsuke and inro.

Many thanks to Makiko Komada for her website and support on Japanese Museums, at http://www.cc.rim.or.jp/~komada/e-museums.html

ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO:

NORMAN L SANDFIELD at netsuke@sandfield.org

=================================

Norman L. Sandfield,

INS Email Blast-Master

New York Chapter Meeting

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Please join the NEW YORK chapter of the INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY at its next meeting:

Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010

2:00 pm

Szechuan Chalet

1395 Second Avenue (near 72nd/73rd Streets)

Restaurant phone: 212-737-1838

Bob Goode will present an annual favorite, highlighting the upcoming new year.

This year's presentation is on "The Year of the Hare."

He will consider the position of the hare in Asian Art, with special reference to the portrayal of hares in netsuke.

Please feel free to bring any hare or other netsuke to show the group.

Please also bring cash for your food/drink.

RSVP to: Jeffrey Klotz, 973-616-2988 or jklotz@takaraasianart.com

Seattle Chapter Meeting with Norman Sandfield

Sat, 13 Nov 2010 17:00:00 GMT

INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY

Seattle Chapter

You are cordially invited to attend our winter Luncheon meeting

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2010, 1:00 p.m.

For directions call Karen and Eric Knudson 206-528-9870, or email at kandeknudson@hotmail.com

Lunch $12 - $20, please bring cash. Bar is open

Phone Karen Knudson for directions: (206) 528 - 9870

RSVP - Richard Hieronymus (Chapter Chairman)

E-mail <RHMusic_netsuke@interisland.net> or Phone: 1-360-378-3556

The INS Seattle Chapter
presents
Norman L. Sandfield
speaking on

Images of Netsuke, depicted in Woodblock Prints and other Japanese Art Forms
(Netsuke on Prints, Netsuke on Netsuke, and More Images of Netsuke on . . .)

Norman L. Sandfield, from Chicago, a dealer in fine netsuke for more than 30 years, will talk about his collection of images of netsuke depicted in a wide variety of media. This includes antique and vintage Japanese woodblock prints, a French etching, netsuke images on antique and contemporary netsuke, netsuke on scrolls, netsuke on sword fittings, netsuke and inro on Japanese and French scarves, on kimono and obi, and on contemporary paintings. All of these art forms help to show how netsuke were worn by the Japanese as seen through the eyes of both 19th and 20th century Japanese and other artists. These prints are rare since netsuke are usually worn on the man’s back right hip, and thus rarely shown in prints where the front of the person is most often the center of interest for the artist. Most of these have never been seen or published anywhere.

The focus of Sandfield’s collection, possibly the world’s largest, is the illustration of netsuke in Japanese and Japanese-related art. This variation on collecting: the search for the object as the subject of an illustration, rather than the specific object itself, has been applied to other collecting areas. For example bonsai, ikebana, Go boards, and toys are all found as the subject of many Japanese woodblock prints, and actively sought after by collectors of these specific items. R onin Gallery even has specific categories on their website drop-down menu for Umbrellas, Flower Arranging, Tattoos, ....

In the Japanese woodblock prints with netsuke, inro, and related sagemono (hanging objects) on them, there are more than thirty prints in various formats: single page, diptych, triptych, one page from a triptych, smaller surimono (prints), even smaller shunga (erotic) prints, and even one French etching by Philippe Burty (1830-1890). ["Japonisme" is a term coined by French art-critic Philippe Burty in 1876 to describe the craze for things Japanese.] They show Japanese men, including actors and sumo wrestlers, wearing and holding netsuke with various sagemono attached to them, or with the ensembles just sitting on the ground.

There are also a dozen tsuba and other Samurai sword fittings, individual pieces and matching sets, that are decorated with netsuke and inro en suite. Additionally, the collection has more than a dozen unusual "netsuke with netsuke”: netsuke showing someone wearing and / or carrying a netsuke ensemble, or a netsuke ensemble sitting alone. In addition, he has many netsuke carved by the 20th century netsuke artist Ichiro Inada showing various sagemono being worn by his favorite subjects, many with beautiful inlays. Additionally, there are some okimono with netsuke and other sagemono incorporated into them.

This presentation will be filled with many unusual illustrations and surprising images.

===========================================

Norman L. Sandfield

INS Email Blast Master

netsuke@sandfield.org

Seattle Chapter Meeting with Paul Moss

Sat, 25 Sep 2010 16:00:00 GMT

International Netsuke Society

Seattle Chapter

You are cordially invited to attend our luncheon meeting

Sunday, October 17, 2010, 1:00 p.m.

Guest Speaker: Paul Moss

Mr. Moss will present a power-point presentation on the Nordskog Exhibition

of very beautiful inro ensembles, pipecases and netsuke with new information.

As a “Lucky Strike” extra he will discuss Centenary Show major new information.

Paul will have netsuke from a new collection for show, tell & sale.

on RITSUO (1663 – 1747)

Don’t miss this FANTASTIC event.

Lunch as usual $15 - $22. (bring cash) – bar is open.

Please RSVP - INS Seattle Chapter Chairman for directions and other details.

Richard Hieronymus RHMusic_netsuke@interisland.net

Or phone (360) 378-3556

================================================================

Norman L. Sandfield

INS Email Blast Master

netsuke@sandfield.org

Participation deadline for LACMA's Top 10 Netsuke from the Bushell Collection is Oct.1st, 2010

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Just a reminder . . .

[And please read the self-congratulatory postscript.]

Members of the International Netsuke Society are invited to participate in organizing an exhibition of netsuke from the Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The deadline, however, is approaching.

In order to take part, your list must be received by LACMA by October 1st.

See below for further details.

As you probably know, Los Angeles has been chosen as the host-city for the next convention of the International Netsuke Society to be held in May 2011.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is home to the Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection of Netsuke. In conjunction with the upcoming INS Convention, LACMA is planning to organize an exhibition of netsuke from the Bushell collection. With a fresh approach, rather than focusing on their traditional role as functional items or their meanings as cultural artifacts, this exhibition will focus on netsuke’s place in the modern-day domain of art collecting.

We invite INS members to participate as we seek to compile a selection of the ‘top’ works in the Bushell Collection at LACMA. The exhibition aims to reflect what netsuke collectors today consider the most outstanding works based on the responses we receive from INS members worldwide. We hope you will share with us your ‘Top 10’ favorites from the Bushell Collection.

To take part in this survey simply go to one of the currently available sources where the entire collection can be seen and select the ten netsuke from the collection that you find to be the most outstanding examples. The Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection at the LACMA can be seen in its entirety in two places. The 2003 collection catalog titled “The Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection of Netsuke: A Legacy at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art” and the LACMA web site located at www.lacma.org (see below for a link to the site.)

Please fax your list to (323) 857-4703 or send it via email to cdrosse@lacma.org If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Chris Drosse at the above email address. The deadline for responses is October 1st.

This is an entirely anonymous process. No names will appear on any lists, labels or other exhibition-related materials.

To view all of the netsuke in the Bushell collection, click on the following link.

http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=advform

The page that opens should be the Advanced Search page. In the KEYWORDS box enter Bushell and then hit SEARCH at the bottom of the page. This search should bring up 878 objects. (You can also do more specific searches if you are looking for a particular artist, subject, etc.)

===========================================

P.S. I hope you are as pleased as I am to celebrate this INS Constant Contact Email Blast #50, and see that we have been able to keep in contact with email-enabled members in a very timely manner! I hope you will encourage your netsuke-collecting friends to go to the INS website to sign up for these email blasts. I also hope that non-members receiving these emails will consider joining the Society, and receiving all of the even-more-valuable many full-color illustrated articles in our quarterly INS Journal.

Norman L. Sandfield

INS Email Blast Master

netsuke@sandfield.org

New York Chapter Meeting

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:00:00 GMT

The NEW YORK chapter of the INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY will host its next meeting:

Sunday, September 26, 2010, 2:00 pm

Szechuan Chalet

1395 Second Avenue (near 72nd/73rd Streets)

Restaurant phone: 212-737-1838

Dieuwke Eijer will be giving a talk on kagamibuta. Please feel free to bring any netsuke you'd like to show the group.

Please also bring cash for your food/drink.

RSVP to: Diane Drinnon, 212-828-7088 or ddrinnon@mac.com.

Best Regards,

Diane

Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum Opening

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Autumn public opening of
the Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum

The Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum, Japan’s first museum exclusively dedicated to netsuke, is proud to announce that its autumn public opening has been scheduled for the month of November, 2010. 　

The museum holds approximately 2,500 netsuke pieces dating from the Edo period to the present and exhibits 500 selected pieces to the public four times a year. It is located near Nijo Castle in a remodeled samurai residence that has preserved the stateliness of the original residence, the only such one remaining in the Mibu area in the heart of Kyoto, Japan’s former capital.

Highlighted as this season’s special program is an exhibition featuring works of 40 netsuke artists under the themed of “Iwai (congratulation).” We hope you will enjoy the world of Iwai that is expressed through netsuke in the shapes of a sea beam which is usually served in festive occasions and two men singing and carrying a chest which contains bride’s belongings at a wedding, and so on. New works specially created for this theme are on display.

For further information, our next public opening in winter has been scheduled for 1st through 28th of February 2011.

Sincerely yours,

Muneaki Kinoshita
Director, Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum

【Period】 Monday, November 1 to Tuesday, November 30, 2010
【Time】　 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (No admission after 4:30 p.m.) 【Place】 46-1 Mibukayougosho-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, 604-8811, Japan
(On the east side of the Mibu-dera Temple) Phone: 075-802-7000
【Admission fee】 (inclusive of consumption tax)
For adults　：　1,200 yen
For students ： (Jr. & Sr. high school) 600 yen *(Student ID required.)

* Children at elementary school age and below are not allowed in the museum.
* Photography is prohibited within the museum.
* No parking space is available. (Please use public transportation utilities.)

Contact :
Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum, Public Relations Office
(c/o Information Workshop Co.)

Phone : 075-353-7714
FAX : 075-353-7724
E-mail : netsukekan@info-works.jp
URL : http://www.netsukekan.jp

Toledo Museum Exhibition - Life in Miniature: Ceramic Netsuke from the Silverman Collection

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Rare Japanese Ceramic Netsuke Go on View at Toledo Museum of Art

TOLEDO, OHIO–Tiny, whimsical, utilitarian and extremely rare Japanese sculptural works star in a new exhibition this fall at the Toledo Museum of Art.

Life in Miniature: Ceramic Netsuke from the Silverman Collection showcases more than 200 objects in the Museum’s Asian collection, most of them from Japan’s Edo Period (1615-1868). The exhibition, on view Oct. 1, 2010–Feb. 27, 2011 in Gallery 18, features 226 ceramic netsuke recently donated to the Museum by Richard Silverman. Admission to the exhibition and to the Museum is free.
From the early seventeenth century through the middle of the nineteenth century, wealthy Japanese men wore opulent personal accessories such as inro (cases) that attached to their silk clothing by small fasteners known as netsuke (pronounced NET-skeh). Netsuke were created in a wide variety of materials and eventually became highly collectable for their wit, whimsy and craftsmanship.

Life in Miniature explores the utilitarian use and cultural meaning of netsuke, their iconography and their depiction of everyday and fantastic subject matter. It also highlights the special nature of netsuke made in the famed ceramics kilns of Japan, rather than carved from materials such as ivory or wood. Inro, kimono, paintings and the Museum’s fabulous gold-ground Japanese screens showing Kyoto, where many of the objects were made, also are on display.

“Ceramic netsuke are quite rare and, as a result, quite valuable,” notes exhibition curator Carolyn Putney, Director of Collections and Curator of Asian Art at TMA. “Anyone who likes to collect will marvel at this fine collection. The very existence of these fragile miniature sculptural objects makes them significant,” Putney says.

A companion catalog, Adornment in Clay: Ceramic Netsuke from the Richard R. Silverman Collection, will be available for purchase at the Museum Store, for $11.95.

Life in Miniature: Netsuke from the Silverman Collection is made possible by TMA members. The exhibition also is supported in part through the sustainable grant program of the Ohio Arts Council, which encourages economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

===================================

More information from the FACT SHEET

Content: During the Edo Period (1615–1868) wealthy Japanese men wore opulent personal accessories such as inro (cases) that attached to their silk clothing by small fasteners known as netsuke (pronounced NET-skeh). Netsuke were created by Japanese artists in a wide variety of materials and became highly collectable for their wit, whimsy and craftsmanship. More than 200 objects from Japan, including 226 ceramic netsuke recently donated to the Museum by Richard Silverman, as well as inro, kimono and paintings are shown. The exhibition explores the utilitarian use and cultural meaning of the objects, as well as the iconography of the netsuke and their depiction of everyday and fantastic subject matter.
Credits: Life in Miniature is organized by the Toledo Museum of Art with the support of its members. The exhibition also is supported in part through the sustainable grant program of the Ohio Arts Council, which encourages economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans

Information: Teri Sharp, Public Relations Manager
Tel: 419-254-5082 or 419-308-4213 (mobile)
tsharp@toledomuseum.org
=================================
Exhibition Related Programming

FREE Presentation: Adornment in Clay Oct. 1: 7:30 p.m., Little Theater
Laura J. Mueller is an independent curator and scholar based in New York. Mueller, who studied Japanese art history at the University of Wisconsin, is the author of TMA’s netsuke exhibition companion book, Adornment in Clay: Ceramic Netsuke from the Richard R. Silverman Collection.

FREE Hands-on Activity: Animal Netsuke
Oct. 1: 7–9 p.m., Libbey Court
Join us for the opening of the Life in Miniature: Ceramic Netsuke from the Silverman Collection Exhibition and create your own version of an animal netsuke using clay.

FREE Public Tours
Oct. 1: 6:30 and 7 p.m., Libbey Court
Oct. 2: 2 and 3 p.m., Libbey Court
Oct. 2 and 3 p.m., Libbey Court

FREE Family Center Activities: Miniature Wonders!
Oct. 3: Noon to 5:30 p.m.
Oct. 5 and Oct. 7: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
See the Museum’s netsuke (NET-skay) exhibition and make your own version of a netsuke animal using clay.

Japanese Tea Ceremony
Nov. 12: 7 p.m., Green Room
Experience the art of the ancient tea ceremony and enjoy Japanese tea and desserts. Purchase tickets ($20 members/$30 nonmembers) by calling 419-254-5771, ext. 7432.

FREE Hands-on: Japanese Sansui (Landscapes)
Nov. 26: 7–9 p.m., Libbey Court
Discover the beauty of Japanese landscapes like the ones displayed in the Toledo Museum of Art collection. Using a wide variety of materials, such as ink and rice paper, create your own version. A majority of Japanese landscape paintings depict mountains and flowing water. “San” means mountain and “sui” means water.

===============================
Note: For images objects in the exhibition or more information, contact Teri Sharp, public relations manager, at 419-254-5082 or tsharp@toledomuseum.org, or Kelly Fritz Garrow, director of communications, at 419-255-8000, ext. 7408, or kgarrow@toledomuseum.org.
The mission of the Toledo Museum of Art is based upon the belief in the power of art to ignite the imagination, stimulate thought, and provide enjoyment. Through our collection and programs, we strive to integrate art into the lives of people.
The Toledo Museum of Art is a nonprofit arts institution funded through individual donations, foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and investments. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund programs at the Toledo Museum of Art through a sustainable grant program that encourages economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.
Admission to the Museum is free. The Museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, Noon to 6 p.m.; closed Mondays and major holidays. Friday evening hours are made possible by Fifth Third Bank.
The Museum is located at 2445 Monroe Street at Scottwood Avenue, just west of the downtown business district and one block off I-75 with exit designations posted. For general information, visitors can call 419-255-8000 or 800-644-6862, or visit www.toledomuseum.org

Jewish Museum Exhibition- The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Family's Century of Art and Loss

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:00:00 GMT

On Monday, September 27, 11:30 AM, The Jewish Museum in Manhattan will be presenting a lecture by renowned ceramicist Edmund de Waal.

He will be discussing his new book, "The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Family’s Century of Art and Loss."

The book relates the story of the family of Charles Ephrussi through the journey of his collection of 264 netsuke, now in de Waal’s possession. The family’s properties were seized by the Nazis in 1938 and the collection, smuggled to safety by their maid, is almost all that remains of their vast holdings.

The Museum will be mailing a postcard this month to advertise this lecture, and would like to reach out to all INS Members in the New York area.

To order tickets, call 212-423-3337 or click:

http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/DaytimePrograms

Tickets: $15 general / $12 Students and 65+ / $10 Members.

The Jewish Museum
1109 Fifth Avenue, at 92nd St
New York, NY 10128
212-660-1527
http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/

P.S. A review of this book will be in a forthcoming INS Journal.

P.P.S. The New York Times has an article about it in Friday’s paper:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/13/arts/design/13antiques.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=amber%20eyes&st=cse

LACMA Survey

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Hello International Netsuke Society members:

As you probably know, Los Angeles has been chosen as the host-city for the next convention of the International Netsuke Society, to be held in May 2011.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is home to the Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection of Netsuke. In conjunction with the upcoming INS Convention, LACMA is planning to organize an exhibition of netsuke from the Bushell Collection. With a fresh approach, rather than focusing on their traditional role as functional items or their meanings as cultural artifacts, this exhibition will focus on netsuke’s place in the modern-day domain of art collecting.

We invite INS members to participate as we seek to compile a selection of the ‘top’ works in the Bushell Collection at LACMA. The exhibition aims to reflect what netsuke collectors today consider the most outstanding works based on the responses we receive from INS members worldwide. We hope you will share with us your ‘Top 10’ favorites from the Bushell Collection.

To take part in this survey simply go to one of the currently available sources where the entire collection can be seen and select the ten netsuke from the collection that you find to be the most outstanding examples. The Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection at the LACMA can be seen in its entirety in two places: The 2003 collection catalog titled “The Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection of Netsuke: A Legacy at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art” and the LACMA web site located at www.lacma.org (see below for a link to the search site.)

Please fax your list to (323) 857-4703 or send it via email to cdrosse@lacma.org. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Chris Drosse at the above email address. The deadline for responses is October 1, 2010.

This is an entirely anonymous process. No names will appear on any lists, labels or other exhibition-related materials.

To view all of the netsuke in the Bushell collection, click on the following link.
http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=advform
The page that opens should be the ADVANCED SEARCH page. In the KEYWORDS box enter Bushell and in the TYPE OF ARTWORK box enter netsuke. Then hit SEARCH at the bottom of the page. This search should bring up 854 objects. You can also do more specific searches if you are looking for a particular artist, subject, etc.

Many thanks,
Chris Drosse

Save the Dates - 2011 Beverly Hills INS Convention

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:00:00 GMT

SAVE THE DATES - BEVERLY HILLS, CA 2011

Make your plans and mark your calendars for May 20-25, 2011 for the 2011 INS Convention at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, a historic and five star hotel, at the foot of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California.

I am excited to announce that Dr. Dmitry Tubis, the Los Angeles Chapter Chairman, and David S. White, an attorney and Los Angeles collector, have agreed to co-chair the 2011 Convention. The three of us together with other members of the Southern California Chapter will be working to make this a Convention that you will not want to miss.

In Los Angeles you can look forward to having a special viewing of the Raymond & Frances Bushell Collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and being able to see a selection of the Richard Silverman collection which will be exhibited during the Convention.

The Dealer’s Room will be in the famous Royal Suite overlooking Rodeo Drive and Wilshire Blvd which will be an experience in itself – not only the best netsuke for sale in the world but shown in a space that very few people will ever have the opportunity to visit.

We will look forward to seeing you in sunny California in May 2011.
Stay tuned for more details, as they become available.

Marsha Vargas Handley
President, INS

Los Angeles Chapter Meeting

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Los Angeles Chapter Meeting – Sunday, August 1, 2010, at 11:30 A.M.

with guest speaker Sharen Chappell, speaking on "What makes Netsuke Wonderful"

Sharen Chappell is a netsuke expert with more than 30 years experience in collecting and dealing.

She is the author of more than 60 articles on netsuke, specializing in legends and symbolism, and co-authored the book Netsuke: The Japanese Art of Miniature Carving.

Cheesecake Factory
4142 Via Marina
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
(310) 306-3344

RSVP to: netsuke77@gmail.com
Dmitry Tubis
Chapter President

Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum Opening

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

The Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum, Japan’s first museum exclusively dedicated to netsuke, is pleased to announce that its summer public opening has been scheduled for the month of July, 2010.

The museum holds approximately 2,500 netsuke dating from the Edo period to the present and exhibits 500 selected pieces to the public four times a year. It is located near Nijo Castle in a remodeled samurai residence. Highlighted as this season’s special program is our exhibition of the Hideyuki Sakurai’s work pieces collection that is outstanding especially in the themes of men, animals & plants (especially flowers).

Please find below more details about the summer public opening.
If you have any questions, please contact me anytime.

Best wishes
Tomoko Suzuki
Phone: 075-353-7714
FAX: 075-353-7724
E-mail: netsukekan@info-works.jp
URL: http://www.netsukekan.jp

London Symposium Update

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Updated information about the London Netsuke Symposium has been posted on the European Chapter website: euronetsuke.eu or http://www.euronetsuke.eu/

You will find details of the Welcome Dinner on 5th November and our lectures and workshops - please visit it for more information.

You can also download the REGISTRATION FORM.

We're looking forward to seeing you in London.

Max and Rosemary

londonnetsuke2010@hotmail.com

Life in Miniature: Ceramic Netsuke from the Silverman Collection

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Life in Miniature: Ceramic Netsuke from the Silverman Collection
At the Toledo Museum of Art,
October 1, 2010 – February 27, 2011, Gallery 18

Japanese netsuke have delighted collectors for years with their small size, craftsmanship, wit and whimsy. Now the public can join in the fun as a collection of 200 rare ceramic netsuke donated to the Toledo Museum of Art by noted collector Richard R. Silverman go on display at the Museum this fall. Life in Miniature explores the iconography of these decorative and useful objects and their depiction of everyday and fantastic subject matter. Also shown are Japanese screens depicting Kyoto, where many of the objects were made and sold, and a kimono with inro and netsuke illustrating how these delightful fashion accessories were worn. A catalog accompanies the exhibition. Free admission.

The Toledo Museum of Art has a renowned collection of Japanese netsuke developed over the last 100 years. The Museum’s reference library is also home to the Norman L. Sandfield Library of Netsuke and Oriental Art.

For more information, contact:
Carolyn Putney, Director of Collections, Curator of Asian Art, Head Curator

Toledo Museum of Art
2445 Monroe Street
Toledo, OH 43604
(419) 255-8000
www.toledomuseum.org

Exhibition: From Damsels to Demons: The Hidden Art of Netsuke Carving

Sun, 23 May 2010 16:00:00 GMT

From Damsels to Demons: The Hidden Art of Netsuke Carving
is the Summer Exhibition for
the Portland (Oregon) Japanese Garden’s
2010 Art in the Garden Series

From June 19 - July 5, 2010, the Portland Japanese Garden will host an exhibition entitled From Damsels and Demons: The Hidden Art of Netsuke Carving which celebrates the Marian P. Miller Collection of more than 100 netsuke gifted to the Garden in 1998. The exhibition introduces this little-known art form and explores the often humorous and always fascinating characters from Japanese folklore and legend depicted in these intricate carvings. Top modern-day netsuke carvers, including British-born artist Nick Lamb, will be a part of the exhibition, and a set of 12 photo panels of selected netsuke from the Miller Collection revealed in close-up detail by photographer Jonathan Ley will be on view as well.

www.japanesegarden.com/events/netsuke

Internationally known netsuke carver Nick Lamb will demonstrate his craft and be on hand to talk with visitors in the Pavilion on Saturday and Sunday, June 19 and 20 from 1-3 p.m. Nick trained as a graphic designer at the Berkshire College of Art in his native England. In 1973 he started woodcarving as a hobby-by the early 1980s he had won several woodcarving prizes. The demonstrations are free with paid Garden admission.

On Sunday, June 20, from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. a lecture by Hollis Goodall, Curator of Japanese Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) will be offered, followed immediately by a reception. Ms. Goodall is an internationally respected expert on netsuke and the co-author of The Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection of Netsuke: A Legacy at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, a complete catalogue of one of the world's finest collections of netsuke.

Tickets are available at: www.japanesegarden.com/events/netsuke

or by calling (503) 542-0280.

New York Chapter Meeting

Mon, 17 May 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Please join
the NEW YORK chapter of the INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY
at its next meeting:

Sunday, May 23, 2010
2:00 pm
Szechuan Chalet
Second Avenue (near 72nd/73rd Streets)
Restaurant phone: 212-737-1838

Jeffrey Klotz will present a fifth installment of “Netsuke Questions and Answers (Formerly called “Is that your Final Answer?”)”

As in the prior installments, Jeff will offer examples of netsuke depicting subjects, and, in some cases, objects or materials that many collectors would find challenging to identify. Please bring any netsuke you have that show subjects, objects or materials that you haven't been able to identify or that you think others may find challenging to identify. As always, if you have any other netsuke you would like to show to our other members, please bring them as well.

Please also bring cash for your food/drink.

RSVP to: Diane Drinnon, 212-828-7088 or ddrinnon@mac.com

Portland Exhibition: From Damsels to Demons: The Hidden Art of Netsuke Carving

Sun, 16 May 2010 16:00:00 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From Damsels to Demons: The Hidden Art of Netsuke Carving
Summer Exhibition for Portland Japanese Garden 2010 - Art in the Garden Series

Portland, Oregonundefined From damsels to demons, the exquisite miniature carvings known as netsuke were the essence of understated chic during the Edo period (1615-1868) in Japan. Collected internationally for over a century, these exquisitely carved works of art were used as toggles to attach lacquered medicine boxes and tobacco pouches to the obi sashes of fashionably dressed samurai and townsmen, whose traditional kimono garments had no pockets.

Carved with consummate artistry into a wide variety of imaginative shapes by master craftsmen, netsuke have much to tell us about the customs and folklore of traditional Japan. Worn partially concealed beneath the outer cloaks of the wearer, they served as good luck charms, as humorous personal mascots, or as treasured miniature works of art.

From June 19 - July 5, the Portland Japanese Garden will host an exhibition entitled From Damsels and Demons: The Hidden Art of Netsuke Carving which celebrates the Marian P. Miller Collection of more than 100 netsuke gifted to the Garden in 1998. The exhibition introduces this little-known art form and explores the often humorous and always fascinating characters from Japanese folklore and legend depicted in these intricate carvings. Top modern-day netsuke carvers, including British-born artist Nick Lamb, will be a part of the exhibition, and a set of 12 photo panels of selected netsuke from the Miller Collection revealed in close-up detail by photographer Jonathan Ley will be on view as well. www.japanesegarden.com/events/netsuke

Internationally known netsuke carver Nick Lamb will demonstrate his craft and be on hand to talk with visitors in the Pavilion on June 19 and 20 from 1-3pm. Nick trained as a graphic designer at the Berkshire College of Art in his native England. In 1973 he started woodcarving as a hobbyundefinedby the early 1980s he had won several woodcarving prizes. The demonstrations are free with paid Garden admission.

On Sunday, June 20, from 7:30 - 9:30 pm a lecture by Hollis Goodall, Curator of Japanese Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) will be offered, followed immediately by a reception. Ms. Goodall is an internationally respected expert on netsuke and the co-author of The Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection of Netsuke: A Legacy at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, a complete catalogue of one of the world’s finest collections of netsuke. Tickets are available at www.japanesegarden.com/events/netsuke or by calling (503) 542-0280.

Images (Hi-res/Downloadable) Available at: www.japanesegarden.com/press

The Portland Japanese Garden has been proclaimed one of the most beautiful Japanese gardens in the world. The Garden is located above Washington Park at 611 SW Kingston Drive in SW Portland, Oregon and is open daily except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.

Four Seasons Five Senses One Extraordinary Experience

MEDIA CONTACT:
Kerry Cobb
Director of Marketing & Visitor Services
Portland Japanese Garden of Portland, Oregon
503-328-0050
kcobb@japanesegarden.com

Japanese Art Society of America Meeting & Lecture

Sat, 08 May 2010 16:00:00 GMT

The Japanese Art Society of America (JASA) will be presenting its first netsuke lecture at their meeting next week.

The speaker will be Laura J. Mueller, independent scholar and author of "Adornment in Clay: The Rise of Ceramic Netsuke," an exhibition catalogue for a show that will be opening at the Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio, about October 1, 2010. She will give a talk on the subject of the catalogue.

JASA lectures are open to guests, and all lectures are admission free. This meeting will be held this coming Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 6:00 P.M. at New York University, Institute of Fine Art, 1 East 78th Street in Manhattan.

The leaders of the JASA have extended an invitation to the members of the New York chapter of the INS and the other New York area members of the INS to come to this lecture.

Best, Diane

Diane Drinnon, 212-828-7088 or ddrinnon@mac.com

Seattle Chapter Meeting

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:00:00 GMT

International Netsuke Society
Seattle Chapter

You are cordially invited to attend our Spring Luncheon Meeting
Sunday, May 16, 2010 - 1:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington

Phone Karen Knudson (206) 914-6768 or Eric Knudson (206) 914-0491
for directions to this netsuke event. Bring ca$h to pay for your lunch.

Eric Knudson will present a stunning power point presentation:
IN LIVING COLOR
Netsuke from Raymond Bushell’s “Netsuke Handbook of Ueda Reikichi”
and more photos from early Netsuke Kenkyukai Journal assembled
by Sharen Chappell, Raymond Bushell and others.
These original photos by Bernard Hurtig now come alive before your eyes.
More than fifty netsuke with signatures from “The Archive Project” to view.
Bring your copy of the book to discuss and compare the netsuke within.

RSVP by May 10th to:
Richard Hieronymus (Seattle Chapter President)
E-mail: RHmusic_netsuke@interisland.net
Or phone (360) 378-3556

Tea, Swords and Stitches - Massachusetts exhibition

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:00:00 GMT

TEA, SWORDS AND STITCHES:
A Contemporary Interpretation of Classic Kimono Design

An exhibition of contemporary kimono and accoutrements is being held at the Brush Gallery in Lowell, Massachusetts, April 4 to June 6, 2010. The exhibition includes a display of 10 contemporary netsuke carved by Japanese and Western netsuke artists.

In conjunction with the exhibition at the Brush Gallery, there will be a Netsuke Lecture and Slide Presentation:
Saturday, April 24 at 2 p.m.,
“Now and Then: Similarities and Differences between Today’s Netsuke and Earlier Netsuke”
given by Jeffrey Klotz.

Brush Art Gallery
256 Market Street
Lowell, MA 01852

(978) 459-7819

For further information, click on the following: http://www.thebrush.org/exhibitions.htm

London Netsuke Symposium - early registration

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:00:00 GMT

London Netsuke Symposium
November 5-8, 2010

Just a reminder to everyone who plans on coming to London, the early registration discount is only available till 1st April, so those who wish to take advantage of it only have a few days left. Places are filling up rapidly.

Information and registration forms are available at www.euronetsuke.eu

londonnetsuke2010@hotmail.com

Norman Sandfield
INS Email Blastmaster
Netsuke@sandfield.org

London Netsuke Symposium - Bonhams Auction

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Following the London Netsuke Symposium (November 5-8, 2010):
Bonhams presents:

The Edward (Ted) Wrangham Collection of Japanese Art, part 1
Wednesday, November 10, 2010, 10.30 am
101 New Bond Street
London

www.bonhams.com

For more information, contact:
Suzannah Yip - Suzannah.Yip@bonhams.com
or
Neil Davey - Neil.Davey@bonhams.com

New York Chapter Meeting

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Please join the NEW YORK chapter of the INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY at its next meeting during New York's Asia Week:

Paul Moss will be presenting an extremely interesting PowerPoint presentation. The theme of Paul's talk will be the two Kyushu artists, Otoman and Bokugyuken Toshiharu, and the Iwami connection.

Our meeting will be held on Sunday, March 21st from 10:00 A.M. until noon at Bonham's New York, at 580 Madison Avenue. Bonham's will not be open to the public at 10:00 A.M., but if you come to the front entrance, there will be someone there to let you in and direct you to the room where we will be meeting.

From noon until 5:00 P.M. Bonham's will have a preview of their auction of "Fine Japanese Works of Art," including a fine group of inro and netsuke from the Swedlow collection, as well as other netsuke. To see pictures of pieces from the auction go to this webpage:
http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r?sContinent=USA&screen=catalogue&iSaleNo=18256

Please try to arrive at the meeting by 10:00 A.M.
RSVP to: Jeffrey Klotz, 973-616-2988 or netsuke@takaraasianart.com

New York Chapter Meeting

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:00:00 GMT

SAVE THE DATE!

Please join the NEW YORK chapter of the INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY at its next meeting during New York's Asia Week:

Sunday, March 21, 2010
10:00 am

The meeting will be held at Bonham's, and our speaker will be Paul Moss.
More details, including RSVP instructions, to follow shortly.

Best Regards,
Diane Drinnon
ddrinnon@mac.com

INRŌ A Key to the World of Samurai - Finnish exhibition

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:00:00 GMT

We would like to inform the membership of the International Netsuke Society on the planned inro Exhibition, to be opened on April 21, 2010, in TAMPERE, FINLAND, open until January 9, 2011.

There will be a poster for the exhibition, a Finish language catalogue, 368 pages in colour, and an English language catalogue, also 368 pages in full colour.

We hope that many of the numerous members of INS could take the opportunity to make a trip to Tampere in Finland for this occasion.

With kind regards,
Heinz and Else Kress
Liljendal, FINLAND, February 18, 2010
===============================================

INRŌ A Key to the World of Samurai
April 22, 2010 January 9, 2011

A kimono has no pockets. Therefore, in ancient Japan, coins, medicines, personal seals, and other small items were carried in a small container worn on the belt. For this purpose, well-dressed Japanese gentlemen commissioned inrō, lavishly decorated lacquered containers. As an item of fashion, the inrō reflected its owner s wealth, personality, style, and taste.

Initially, inrō were luxury objects exclusive to the samurai, but later on, even the chōnin, the wealthy townsman class, began using them. These lacquered containers are superior and exquisite examples of Japanese craftsmanship.

Because the samurai and prosperous townspeople were trend-setters in the cultural life of the peaceful Edo period (1603 1868), the inrō serves as the perfect key for understanding the aesthetics and the social and cultural conditions of the time. It is a unique artefact that reflects Japanese culture and mentality, not only in the age of the samurai, but in modern Japan as well.

The exhibition INRŌ A Key to the World of Samurai at the Museum Centre Vapriikki showcases a total of 205 inrō, each more enchanting than the last, plus a selection of woodblock prints and modern lacquer work from the collection of Heinz and Else Kress.

In connection with the exhibition, Vapriikki is publishing a comprehensive study of Japanese inrō by Heinz and Else Kress. Moreover, in autumn 2010, we will be offering a wide range of events focusing on Japan. Additional information is available on the museum s web site www.tampere.fi/vapriikki. The Vapriikki Museum Shop and the Valssi café will also incorporate the Japan theme in a variety of ways.

We invite you to Vapriikki to visit the exotic and enchanting world of the Japanese samurai!

================

Norman L. Sandfield
INS Constant Contact Email Blast Master

London Netsuke Symposium registration form

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Following our announcement in January, we are happy to inform you that details of the London Netsuke Symposium and a downloadable registration form are now available on the new website of the European Chapter of the International Netsuke Society: www.euronetsuke.eu

We look forward to welcoming you to an exciting programme of lectures, exhibitions and auctions. London is an international centre for Japanese art and the annual Asian Art in London week attracts visitors from around the world. Spaces may be limited, so don't delay!

Max Rutherston & Rosemary Bandini

Los Angeles Chapter Meeting

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Meeting of the Los Angeles Chapter of the International Netsuke Society

Sunday, March 28, 2010, at 12:30 pm.
The meeting will be at
Betty Andrews house
1620 Lincoln Lane
Newport Beach, CA 92660

For a map, click here

The topic of the meeting will be: Marine life and netsuke.

We ask all of the members to RSVP to Dmitry by email prior to March 22nd, so we know how many people are coming for lunch/brunch. Also, we would like the members to bring at least one netsuke that somehow relates to water or Marine life.

Thanks a lot!
Dmitry Tubis, President
netsuke77@gmail.com

Seattle Chapter Meeting

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:00:00 GMT

INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY
SEATTLE CHAPTER

You are cordially invited to attend a SPECIAL EVENT at Seattle Asian Art Museum
Sunday, March 14, 2010, EXACTLY 10:00 a.m.
Please see RSVP information below!

Catherine Roche (Museum Curator) and Marta Pinto-Liorta (Museum Collections Care Manager), by request of Karen Knudson, have organized a one-time viewing of the Museum s 200+ Netsuke for Northwest INS members and their guests. The Museum will wave admission fees for this one-time event. Please be on time as Catherine will meet us at the main entrance door exactly at 10 a.m.

DIRECTIONS to SEATTLE ASIAN ART MUSEUM:

From 520 WESTBOUND take the 1-5 NORTHBOUND exit and stay right. Exit onto Roanoke Harvard exit. Turn right onto Roanoke. At the first traffic light turn right onto 10th Ave. East. At about 1 mile (E. Prospect) turn left. Follow the signs and enter Volunteer Park, which is on the left. Park in front of the museum.

From I-5 SOUTHBOUND take the BOYLSTON exit #168A turn left onto Roanoke.
At first traffic light turn right onto 10th Ave. East. At about 1 mile at East Prospect turn left. Follow the signs and enter Volunteer Park which is on the left. Park in front of the museum.

From 1-5 NORTHBOUND take the LAKEVIEW BLVD exit #168A, turn left onto Lakeview Blvd. E. and go .02 miles. Turn right onto Harvard Ave. E., then go 1 mile and turn right onto E. Boston St. Go .7 mile and turn left onto E. Prospect. Follow the signs and enter Volunteer Park on the left. Park automobile in front of the museum.

Please RSVP by March 1st.
Richard Hieronymus RHmusic_netsuke@interisland.net
Phone Richard (360) 378-3556
Or phone Karen Knudson (206) 528-9870

New York Chapter Meeting follow-up

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Please join the NEW YORK chapter of the INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY at its next meeting:

Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010
2:00 pm
Szechuan Chalet
1395 Second Avenue (near 72nd/73rd Streets)
Restaurant phone: 212-737-1838

In a follow-up to the recent chapter meeting announcement, here is more information on the talk at our Feb. 7th meeting:
Jeff Klotz will be giving a talk on contemporary netsuke artist, Ko Baas. Ko Baas is a very talented and prolific Dutch netsuke carver. We will focus on his work and his own perspective on his netsuke carving. A little background information about Ko will be offered, along with some of his thoughts and feelings about his work. We will look at subjects, such as what inspires him when he creates netsuke and what he is trying to accomplish in his work. The talk will be accompanied by pictures of some of Ko s netsuke.

If you haven't RSPV'd yet, please let me know if you will be attending by calling 212-828-7088 or emailing ddrinnon@mac.com.

Please feel free to bring any netsuke you'd like to show the group.

Please also bring cash for your food/drink.
RSVP to: Diane Drinnon, 212-828-7088 or ddrinnon@mac.com
Best Regards,
Diane

New York Chapter Meeting

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Please join the NEW YORK chapter of the INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY at its next meeting:

Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010
2:00 pm
Szechuan Chalet
1395 Second Avenue (near 72nd/73rd Streets)
Restaurant phone: 212-737-1838

Jeff Klotz will be giving a talk - subject to be announced shortly. Please feel free to bring any netsuke you'd like to show the group.

Please also bring cash for your food/drink.

RSVP to: Diane Drinnon, 212-828-7088 or ddrinnon@mac.com.

Best Regards, Diane

Journal publication change

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Letter to the Membership

This letter is to wish all of you a very Happy 2010 and to update you on what we are doing in the New Year.

I am pleased to announce beginning with the Spring 2010 issue the INS Journal will be produced by CA Design of Hong Kong. This change will result in a better production quality as well as a considerable savings to the INS in costs. Tony Chan of CA Designs came to the New York Convention in July 2009 and gave an impressive presentation to the Board of Directors. As we had been with our old production company for over fifteen years and the Summer Journal was already in production it was decided not to move until the end of the year.

The Winter Journal which is normally mailed in late December was delayed in production but has just been mailed so you should be receiving it by the end of January.

As a result of this change the Spring 2010 Journal is scheduled to be completed and mailed in April.

The past six months has been extremely busy with working on our finances as well as moving ahead with the plans for the Journal and website. I hope that you will all enjoy the new Journal when you receive it in the Spring.

Sincerely,

Marsha Vargas Handley
President

London Netsuke Symposium

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:00:00 GMT

what you've all been asking for!

London Netsuke Symposium
November 5th-8th 2010

Rosemary Bandini and Max Rutherston are delighted to announce to a four-day netsuke symposium to be held in London in November 2010, coinciding with Asian Art in London Week and the first of the Ted Wrangham auctions.

Many of our European and American collector friends have long been asking us to organise an event in London. Some of you will remember the lively and highly successful conventions that used to be held in London, but it has now been 20 years since such an event took place here. Cost has always been a factor, but this is a time when we can take full advantage of the weakness of sterling. The symposium will be held at Dartmouth House, The English Speaking Union, in Charles Street, close to the historic centre of Mayfair. There will be a full programme of lectures and workshops each morning, with a fork buffet lunch, followed by viewing of the dealers' room. Our hotel accommodations are within a minute or two's walk of the location.

We have been able to negotiate rooms at the 4-star Washington Mayfair hotel at the very competitive rate of £165 for a classic double with full English breakfast (www.washington-mayfair.co.uk)This well appointed and recently refurbished James's of London's hotel is ideally located close to Bond Street and St James's as well as Bonhams auction rooms. Nearby Green Park tube station takes you direct to Christie's South Kensington salerooms. For those who prefer a slightly more traditional hotel, a number of rooms have been negotiated at a similar rate at Flemings Hotel in nearby Half Moon Street.

Mayfair is a charming area of central London which has retained much of its 18th century charm and the cobbled streets of Shepherds Market offer a wide choice of restaurants, traditional pubs and shops - including the world-renowned Geo F Trumper, gentlemen's hairdresser and perfumer, established in 1875 and bearer of a Royal Warrant, which offers an old-fashioned wet-shave for those who dare. For a taste of London's pageantry and royal history, St James's and Buckingham Palaces are a short walk away, across Green Park for those who want to see The Changing of The Guards

The event is being organised independently by us here in London, to complement the wonderful conventions held in the USA by the INS. We feel the time is right as London appears once again to have emerged as a major centre of Japanese art. There promises to be so much to do and see in relation to netsuke that you may have to plan a longer stay if you want to enjoy the myriad delights which London has to offer.

We promise you a wonderful time and will shortly be sending out information about registration and booking. We do have a number cap at Dartmouth House, so early registration is recommended.

SAVE THE DATE! We look forward to seeing you here in November

Rosemary and Max

rosemarybandini@hotmail.com
max@slmoss.com

Netsuke theft in England

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:00:00 GMT

We have just received further details of the netsuke theft in England. It occurred August 14, 2009, from Amelie & Melanie Japanese Antiques & Art, in Bristol, Gloucestershire, a county in South West England, about 172 km or 107 miles from London, and it happened at Westonbirt School in Gloucestershire while they were at an antique fair.

You can look at the pictures on their website: www.amelieandmelanie.com “Pretty much all of the netsuke there were taken [about 34 ivory netsuke] and the okimono list is as follows: RP2, 4773, 4612, 4988, 4086, 4201, 4354.”

If you have information, please contact Melanie (Mel) Caswell at amelieandmelanie@hotmail.com
Telephone: 0117-3309090, Mobile: 07885-365466, 07971-978132, and let me know as well.

Norman L. Sandfield INS Constant Contact Email Blast Coordinator

New York Chapter Meeting

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Please join the NEW YORK chapter of the INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY at its next meeting:

Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009
2:00 pm
Szechuan Chalet (NEW PLACE)
1395 Second Avenue (near 72nd/73rd Streets)
Restaurant phone: 212-737-1838

Please note this is a change in location. The restaurant we've been going to is now closed.

Bob Goode will present an annual favorite, highlighting the upcoming new year. This year's presentation is on "The Year of the Tiger: The Many Faces of Tigers". He will consider the position of the tiger in Asian Art, with special reference to the portrayal of tigers in netsuke.
Please feel free to bring any tiger or other netsuke to show the group.

Please also bring cash for your food/drink.
RSVP to: Diane Drinnon, 212-828-7088 or ddrinnon@mac.com.

Journal binders and slipcase order reminder

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

INS JOURNAL BINDERS AND SLIPCASES

DEADLINE FOR ORDERING IS DECEMBER 1, 2009!!!!

THIS IS A ONE TIME ORDER!

They will be shipped in January.

SEE: http://www.netsuke.org/ where you can Click here for order form

PLEASE print and mail with a check in $US, or fax or email with credit card information to:
Joseph Kurstin, M.D.
2127 Brickell Ave.
Apt 3601
Miami, Florida, 33129
Fax: (305) 461 2902
e-mail: netsukenut@aol.com
Phone: (305) 8587876 (evenings please)

Please make checks to International Netsuke Society (Binders)

INS JOURNAL BINDERS AND SLIPCASES
Sturdy, attractive, accessible, and easy to read. Keep your journals in order and safe!

Binder (holds 16 journals) $30 each
Slipcase (holds 16 journals) $25 each

Domestic shipping $30 for up to eight binders or slipcases (International will be calculated based on country, and billed upon shipping). All orders must be paid in advance by check, cash, or credit card. Please send orders to Joseph Kurstin at netsukenut@aol.com, by fax at +1 (305) 461 2902 or by mail to 2127 Brickell Ave. Apt. 3601, Miami, FL 33129. This is a one-time order, so please purchase what you will need for past and future journals. These are financed and produced by the INS. The Society will not stock these binders and slipcases. All paid orders are final. Please allow 8 to 10 weeks for delivery. Deadline for ordering is December 1, 2009.

Fraud and theft alert

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

The International Netsuke Society is always concerned about problems in the netsuke market. One of our goals is to protect and inform our members on the wide range of issues that will allow them to be more aware of current and newsworthy events in the netsuke marketplace around the world.

Today, we have three issues from the dark side of netsuke:

1) ** FRAUD ALERT **
The New York Attorney General has sued author Mircea Veleanu, owner of Objets D'Art Uniques, for fraud in selling non-jade items as jade. The Attorney General's office obtained a temporary restraining order that required Veleanu to do business with certain restrictions, and on November 14, 2009, the Honorable Thomas J. Dolan agreed and permanently imposed the restrictions. The most recent and complete story, originally published in the December 2009 issue of Maine Antique Digest (online November 15, 2009), can be found online at: http://www.maineantiquedigest.com/stories/?id=1606

In 2004, Veleanu published a book on jade, purporting to be an expert. And then he started selling his “collection” on the internet. In 2008, Mircea Veleanu published a book on netsuke, which was reviewed by Norman L. Sandfield in the INS Journal, vol. 28, no. 2, Summer 2008, and is now selling his “collection” of netsuke on the internet.

The New York Attorney General's office is looking for people who may have purchased netsuke or other objects from Mircea Veleanu, or have had other contact with him. If you have any possible information or questions, or if you have purchased art or artifacts from him that you suspect are fake, please contact assistant attorney general Nicholas Garin at the Poughkeepsie Regional Office at (845) 485-3900.

2) ** THEFT ALERT **
We are still waiting for a list from a dealer in the UK who has had their entire netsuke and okimono stock stolen. This was reported to us at the end of October 2009.

3) ** “SALE” BY DECEPTION ** At least one internet dealer in Japanese antiques located in Russia is copying photographs of netsuke and other objects from the Internet sites of other dealers and offering them for sale under their own name. We do not know whether the copying dealer would take the money and run, or then try to buy the netsuke from the original advertising dealer. When in doubt, . . . “know your dealer!"

More information on these and other issues of interest to our members can be found on the INS Forum at http://forums.netsuke.org/

Norman L. Sandfield
INS Constant Contact Email Blast Coordinator

Northwest Chapter Meeting

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:00:00 GMT

International Netsuke Society
Northwest Chapter

You are cordially invited to attend our luncheon meeting:
Sunday, October 25, 2009, 1:00 pm
Seattle, Washington

Please RSVP by October 20th!

For information on the meeting location, contact Richard Hieronymus (see below), who will then send you the correct address (at a private club) and directions, and add you to the "invited list." Guest Speaker: Paul Moss Paul Moss will present new information on netsuke-shi Otoman aka Matsushita (surname) Otoman. He was a remarkably different, unique, stylistically one-off master carver from Hakata, near Nagasaki, in Kyushu. Recent information comes from Nori Watanabe with the fact that he has been doing some research on Otoman in Kyushu, and has come to the remarkable conclusion that the strange and intriguing carver Bokugyuken (an art name, not a surname) Toshiharu was his teacher. There doesn't seem to have been much to connect them, stylistically, unless you consider the idea that every single model, experiment or essay seems to have been made in the spirit of being completely different from the last one as some sort of identifying characteristic. Come to our meeting. Bring any Otoman and Bokuygyuken netsuke you own for our amazement. As Paul recently wrote me, ”pin back your overwhelmed and amazed capacity to learn.”

RSVP by October 20th to:
Richard Hieronymus
E-mail: RHMusic_netsuke@interisland.net
Or phone (360) 378-3556

Bon Appetite!

Presidential election voting rules

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Confused? You are not alone! This email will attempt to summarize and clarify the previous nine-page email on the upcoming election. For your convenience, we wanted to attach a copy of the Proxy form in a one-page PDF format, but for security reasons, Constant Contact does not allow email attachments. If you still need a blank proxy form, please email our INS Constant Contact Coordinator, Norman L. Sandfield, at norman@sandfield.org, who can email or FAX you one directly.

The Biennial Meeting of INS Members is scheduled for Monday, July 6, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at the New York Palace Hotel. During the meeting, elections will be held for the President of INS.

We want to make sure that every paid member who wishes to vote or submit a Proxy understands how to do so.

1. If you are attending the Convention, you can vote at the meeting.

2. If you are not attending the convention, but live in the area or will be in the area, you can attend the business meeting and vote in person. You do not have to be registered for the convention to come to the business meeting.

3. Otherwise, you may appoint as your proxy agent any INS member who will be attending the INS business meeting by sending a Proxy form to them with information on it indicating who you wish to vote for. You can deliver or fax it to them in advance, or send it to them at the New York Palace Hotel, Fax: 1-212-303-6000. Please let them know that you are sending it, so they can be sure they receive it.

4) You can also send or give your filled-out and signed Proxy to someone you trust and allow them to vote as they see fit.

5) You can fax the signed Proxy form to President Joe Kurstin at the hotel (see above), with voting instructions written at the bottom.

6) The proxy cannot be e-mailed; only faxed, mailed, or carried in by another party.

If you still have any questions, please contact me or one of our Board members in advance to be sure your vote counts.

Hope this clarifies the process for you.

Sincerely,
Joseph Kurstin, President
Norman L. Sandfield, Constant Contact Coordinator

Presidential election and proxies

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:00:00 GMT

INS Presidential Election and Proxies

There are 7 different and important sections to this email, and they are separated by bars, such as this, with a Proxy form at the end:

To All Members of the INS,

We understand that there has been concern expressed about lack of information concerning the election for president at the upcoming convention. The nominating committee has been actively and diligently sorting through its options, which unfortunately was a lengthy process to be as thorough as possible. It was not an easy job and we all owe them a great vote of thanks.

The Nominating Committee and the Board of Directors are happy to announce that we have two highly qualified candidates- Karen Knudson and Michael Strone, who are willing to run and if elected, serve. They both are quite capable, have a passion for the art form, and have been actively involved in the society. We plan to formally present this slate for discussion, and any additions and/or modifications, to the Board of Directors during the meeting in NYC. Pending their approval, we will then present the same choice to the membership at the general meeting of the INS for a final vote.

The possibility exists of an additional nomination(s), either at the board meeting or the general meeting. Anyone may be nominated from the floor or by mailing or e-mailing me the nomination before the Board of Directors Meeting. We do ask that anybody choosing to put forward such a nomination should please clarify with the nominee that he or she is willing to serve and understands what that entails. We have been managed these many years by a small but dedicated group of volunteers, but we are always looking for new talent. If anybody would like to be involved, please let us know. Attached are CV's of the two nominees.

Any paid-up member may vote either in person at the General INS Meeting or by proxy vote.

By proxy:

1. The proxy form cannot be e-mailed.

2. There is no voting by mail, only in person or by a person attending who has a proxy or proxies. That Member can vote as many proxies as he or she has.

3. The Proxy form is to be downloaded and signed and then faxed directly to me, or to anyone to whom you wish to give your proxy, at the NY Palace Hotel. ( New York Palace Fax: 1-212-303-6000 )

4. It may also be mailed to me directly at the INS Convention: Joseph Kurstin, The New York Palace Hotel, 455 Madison Ave, New York, N.Y. 10022, USA.

The proxy may be made out to anyone attending the convention and I will give it to them. That person must attend the meeting to present and vote the proxy.

5. Please put a short note at the end of the proxy and initial it indicating who you wish to vote for with your proxy.

6. Be sure to sign the proxy.

Any paid-up member may come to the General Meeting of the INS with no charge, but to spend time at the convention must pay a daily or full convention charge.

Best Wishes,

Joseph Kurstin, President, and the Board of Directors

Our current bylaws (from the original By-Laws of the Netsuke Kenkyukai Society, dated: 1977, Mission, Kansas) do not require a member in good standing to register for, or attend, the convention in order to attend the General Meeting:

Article III, Section 7: Voting: At every meeting of the members, every active member of the Society, in good standing, shall be entitled to one vote. Unless otherwise provided by the Articles of Incorporation or by these Bylaws, a majority of the votes cast shall be sufficient to elect officers and directors and to pass any measure.

Regarding proxies:

Article III, Section 6: Active members may vote either in person or by proxy, but no proxy shall be dated more than eleven months before the meeting at which it is offered and shall not be accepted unless such proxy states on its face the time period during which it shall remain in force and in effect. No proxy shall be granted for a period exceeding one year. To be qualified, proxies shall be in writing, subscribed by the members and shall be presented to the presiding official at the meeting or in advance thereof.

Personal Statement for

Karen N. Knudson

June 22, 2009

I joined the INS in 1999, when I had one netsuke, and have been collecting ever since. I have attended every convention since 1999 and benefitted enormously from the lectures and workshops, the Journal, the Chapter meetings in New York while we lived in Princeton, and now in Seattle with the Northwest Chapter. My activities with the INS include hosting Newcomers Luncheons in San Francisco and Miami and for another in New York this year. I was elected to the Board in 2007. With my husband Eric, we have chair Membership for the INS since early 2008. For the past couple of years my husband has been compiling the digital image netsuke archive (about 6,700 so far) - this has been a terrific education in itself.

I joined the INS because my collecting and interests connected with the reason d'être of the INS: education. My goals with the INS are to continue the never-ending process of education and collecting, and to serve with commitment, imagination, skill and integrity. I will work for responsiveness, accuracy, clarity, responsibility and honesty on the part of everyone in a position of authority in the INS.

My formal education includes the University of Washington (BA), Edinburgh University (MLitt) and graduate studies in Law and Business at Wayne State University. My work experience is in nursing, real estate sales and management and securities brokerage and management.

Beginning in 1968 I have served on boards of non-profit 501s and 509s including Children's Hospital of Seattle, American Association of University Women, Christ Church Grosse Pointe, Trinity Church Princeton, Princeton Community Housing, The YWCA Princeton, St. Mark's Cathedral Foundation, Women's University Club, Sand Point Country Club and the Executive Committee of the Asian Arts Council of the Seattle Art Museum. My leadership positions with these non-profit organizations are in the areas of finance, investments and governance.

I understand leadership in small organizations (20+/- members) up to large organization (2000+members), some with endowments up to $25 million. The key to all the non-profit leadership jobs is that we are all volunteers. Leadership for these groups requires energy, appreciation and recognition of people and talents, shared responsibility for the outcomes of the undertakings of the group, creative and analytical thinking about the group and living up to the reason d'être of the INS. I recognize the needs of all collectors for a friendly, informative environment in which we can share knowledge and collecting experiences. When members do not feel that all are working for the desired outcomes and do not feel appreciated and recognized, volunteers go away. Without volunteers, there is no group.

I believe there is a future for the INS if some of the younger members and prospective members believed they can share in leadership. I have no interest in personal gain. If elected, I have received a commitment from John Hawley to serve as Vice President for Finance. I will ask the members to ratify that choice at the annual meeting.

OPEN LETTER FROM MICHAEL STRONE TO THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE

INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY

June 23, 2009

Ladies and Gentlemen:

As a candidate for the presidency of our society, I am writing to express my reasons for seeking the office. First and foremost is my passion for netsukeundefinedpure and simple. For almost 20 years, that I have devoted myself, heart and soul to the study and appreciation of netsuke and sagemono, written over 20 articles in the International Netsuke Society Journal, and devoted hundreds of hours to organize and chair a convention that I hope you will all attend to learn and enjoy. I have served on the Board of Directors since 2005, the last two years as Vice President of the Society and been on the Editorial Board of the INS Journal since its inception in 2004. And yes, pursuant to the suggestion of several members of the Society, I declared myself to be a part-time dealer since shortly after the 2007 Miami convention. I have paid to the Society thousands of dollars for advertising in the Journal. Most of this, with much more, is set forth in my attached resume.

I am an attorney, having spent much of my career as Real Estate General Counsel at the General Electric Company. In that capacity, I also served as Ombudsman, responsible for all employee complaints about managementundefineda role that has given me great sensitivity to ethical as well as legal issues. Because of my concern for even the appearance of impropriety, I asked Edward Flower, Esq., the General Counsel for the Society, to render an opinion as to whether my status as a part-time dealer would pose an inherent conflict of interest. His letter of support is attached and I encourage you to read it. I promise you that I will never use the position of president in any way for my personal gain. What I want is for the Society to succeed and prosper. With the benefit of all of my organizational experience and demonstrated expertise, I am willing and able to work extremely hard to achieve those goals with total integrity. The Society and its journal are absolutely essential to our collecting experience.

There exists currently a great opportunity to bring new life to a Society that, except for a biennial convention, is now basically a subscription organization. The next President must have a clear vision of the potential for the Society. As vice-president of the Society for two years, I have experienced both the bad and the good. I have managed to create what I know will be a wonderful and fiscally responsible biennial convention in New York City without any allocated funds and without an event planner that would have cost the Society over $40,000. There were naysayers who intoned that it couldn't be done.

The next President requires integrity, competence, patience, resolve, and flexibility. I will be open to new ideas. I have learned that often the best ideas are unexpected. That said, I have a vision of that which I would like to accomplish for the Society during my tenure:

· Create openness and transparency throughout the Society by distributing monthly financial statements to the Board and by instituting a system of checks and balances such that no one person may commit funds of the Society. I have demonstrated total integrity over my entire professional career. Nonetheless, I will ask a qualified member of the Board or the Society to fill the position of Vice President/Treasurer.

· Increase membership by offering incentives (perhaps a reduced membership fee for new members for a period of time) and/ or different classes of membership with different benefits (lower fees for students and academic professionals and/or a subscription rate only). Perhaps we need to advertise in other magazines such as Arts of Asia, Orientations and Daruma. We must increase involvement by new collectors, especially the young.

· Encourage and develop the INS web site, and especially its forums that are ongoing daily activities of the Society and represent our presence on the Internet, the communication highway of the present and certainly of the future. The forums are truly international, with regular correspondents from the United Kingdom, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, and other countries, and have recently brought a number of new members into the Society.

· Create mini-conventions around the world in venues that might not have the facilities to support a full convention. Two or three days at times in between the biennial convention may provide an opportunity for collectors and dealers alike to meet in an informal and less structured setting.

· Bring the by-laws of the Society into the 21^st century. I had drafted a revised set of by-laws for presentation to the Board in San Francisco but they were not presented. Features of the revisions called for changing the State of incorporation from Kansas (yes, Kansas) to Delaware or New York whose not-for-profit laws are more liberal and better understood, as well as to impose term limits for directors who now are elected for life. We need to infuse the Board with more energy and greater commitment.

· Reduce the cost of the Journal without sacrificing quality. The cost of the Journal is an incredible percentage of Society expenditures. Linda Meredith has done a superb job of garnering and presenting educational and entertaining material. No author is compensated for his or her efforts. Nonetheless, we need to competitively bid the production of the Journal to ensure that we can produce the finest product for the lowest cost.

These are but a few ideas whose implementation will have, I believe, an astonishingly positive impact on the Society and create a robustness that is, frankly, missingundefinedparticularly in a down economy. We must also achieve unity and an environment where differing opinions are welcome and kindness prevails. The President must be a leader but also a servant who acts with humility. As any past president will agree, this is a thankless jobundefinedone where organizational skill and netsuke expertise go hand-in-glove. Nonetheless, a passion for netsuke and for those who collect make it all worthwhile. I promise to do my utmost to validate your trust in me and respectfully ask for your vote.

For whomever you choose to vote, please exercise your right and vote. Use the attached proxy, designate a person to present your proxy (either by selection of one of those in the proxy or by separate note attached). Make sure you sign the proxy and return it to Dr. Kurstin at the New York Palace Hotel (hold for arrival), 455 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022.

With true thanks,

Michael J. Strone

EDWARD FLOWER

45 Lakeside Lane

Bay Shore, New York 11706

June 22, 2009

Michael J. Strone
P.O. Box 6
Harrison, NY 10528-0006

Dear Michael:

Please consider this letter an endorsement and support for your candidacy as president of the INS at the election to be held at the forthcoming convention. I have given careful consideration to what I believe to be the qualifications of the two announced candidates and it is my sincere and enthusiastic belief that you are best qualified to lead our society (please bear in mind that this is my own personal endorsement, and not on behalf of any committee or the board of directors).

I have been particularly impressed with your efforts in organizing the forthcoming convention in New York City, a job which has in the past proved to be most difficult for the INS, and especially at this time in the midst of a worldwide economic crisis. I have also been impressed by the numerous articles you have written and which have been published in the journal.

Finally, I have considered the question of your role as a dealer. I believe that this is a non-issue – and for those who raise it, a red herring. It will have no bearing on our status as a tax-free institution with the IRS, provided of course, that we continue to function in the manner which originally enabled us to obtain such status; nor do I believe that it creates a conflict of interest per se. I would note that at least two or three of our local chapters have dealer presidents. The test is one of character and ability, and what will be accomplished for the INS as well as the ability of that dealer officer not to make commercial use of his or her position. I have no reason to believe that you will do so, nor that any other dealer member would do so in a similar position.

Sincerely,

EDWARD FLOWER

MICHAEL J. STRONE ESQ.

EXECUTIVE ADVISOR

with nationally recognized expertise in

· Not-for-Profit Investments and Law

· Complex Problem-Solving, Teaching and Writing

· Organizational Structures, Asset Management and Negotiation

· Demonstrated High-Level Commitment to Not-for-Profit Causes

EMPLOYMENT:

Oracle Investment Advisors, LLC and Oracle Finance, LLC

Chief Executive Officer – since 2002

· Investment Advisor specializing in Mid-size Pension Funds, Foundations, Endowments, and Eleemosynary Institutions

Kokoro Japanese Art Advisors – Principal (part-time) since 2008

GE Asset Management Incorporated (formerly GE Investments)

Senior Consultant – 2002 to present

Real Estate General Counsel and Ombudsman– 1984 to 2002

· Representing real estate and private equity portfolio of largest in-house managed group of pension fund and not-for profit

investments in the United States; asset management responsibilities for workouts, restructurings, bankruptcy, and litigation with tax,

insurance, ERISA and environmental expertise

Botein, Hays & Sklar and Rathheim, Hoffman, Kassel & Silverman

Associate Attorney -- 1978 to 1984 Specialization in Real Estate and Not-for-Profit Entities

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:

American College of Real Estate Lawyers, Fellow, elected to membership, 1993;

Program Speaker; Member and Vice-Chair (1998-99), Committee on Professionalism and Practice

American Bar Association, Chairman, Committee on Asset Management, 1992 to 1994, 1995 to 1997; Chairman,

Committee on Pension Plan Investments, 1990 to 1992; Program Speaker

National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers, Member, Steering Committee of Senior Legal Officers,

since 1992; Program Speaker, Program Chair, 1997

Who's Who in America, Biographee since 1986

NOT-FOR-PROFIT AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES:

International Netsuke Society, Vice-President of Board of Directors, elected in 2007; regularly featured columnist: International Netsuke Society Journal, since 2004 (20+ articles, reviews, profiles and other writings); member, INS Journal Editorial Board since 2004;

Parkinson's Disease Foundation, Member, Board of Directors, 1989 to 1997;

Vice President, 1991 to 1997

Parkinson's Action Network, Member, Board of Directors, 1994 to 1998

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Member, National Finance Committee; Vice President, New York Chapter

Board of Directors, 1978 to 1989; Lifetime Achievement Award, 2003

The Westchester Symphony, President, 1984 to 1986; Chairman of the Board,

1986 to 1990; Executive Managing Director, 1990 to 1994; Bassist, 1984-2002

Gerald L. Phillippe Award for Distinguished Community Service, 1994

National Conference of Christians and Jews, Vice-Chairman, Westchester Chapter

Annual Dinner, 1987

Colby College Alumni Council, Member, 1994 to 1998; Member, Executive Committee; Chairman, Financial Affairs Committee, 1995 to 1998

Harrison Little League, Member, Board of Directors, elected in 2001; Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Member, Executive Committee 2004--

New York District 20 Youth Baseball, Commissioner of Senior League, Junior League and Fall Baseball for Lower Westchester County, New York 2007--

Mariners Youth Hockey, Member, Board of Directors, 2003--8; Executive Vice President, Managing Director and General Counsel 2005 to 2008

New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, Chairman of the Board, elected in 2007;

Chair, Executive Committee; Chair, Business Development Committee and

Chair, Task Force on Strategic Planning, 2007-2008; Troupe Member, 2008undefined

PERSONAL:

Languages: Russian, French and conversational Japanese

Bar Admissions: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and United States Supreme Court

PROXY

INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, ____________________________

Name of Member

residing at _______________________________________________________

Street Address of Member

City of __________________________________________________________

City of Member

State of __________________________________________________________

State of Member

Country _________________________________________________________

Country of Member

do hereby constitute and appoint ______________________________________

Name of Proxy

of _______________________________________________________________

Street Address of Proxy

City of __________________________________________________________

Name of City

State of _________________________________________________________

State

Country of _______________________________________________________

Country

as my proxy to attend such meeting of Members of the INS as may be held from Thursday, July 2^nd through Monday, July 6^th, 2009, including the bi-annual meeting for the election of officers and directors or any continuation or adjournment thereof, with full power to vote and act for me and in my name, place and stead, in the same manner, to the same extent and with the same effect that I might were I personally present thereat, giving to

said____________________________________

Name of Proxy

full power of substitution and revocation, and I hereby revoke any other proxy heretofore given by me.

Dated:_____________________

Date of Proxy

_____________________________________

Signature of Member Giving Proxy

Discount hotel rates for convention

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:00:00 GMT

I have great news for all INS members who are already planning on attending the upcoming INS Convention, and to those who might attend with a last minute plan if the hotel prices came down, THE HOTEL ROOM RATES HAVE COME DOWN BY ABOUT 25%!

Depending upon the days you check in and check out the prices have come down from $300 per night to an average of about $225.

To get this rate, each person must call the hotel directly at the telephone number below and request the new rate. Be sure to identify yourself as attending the International Netsuke Society Convention.

The New York Palace Hotel
455 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022
www.newyorkpalace.com
(212) 888-7000

Members who are coming because of this room rate discount will also need to contact INS Convention Chair Michael Strone with your convention registration plans at michael@strone.com .

We all look forward to seeing you there.

Norman L. Sandfield, Constant Contact Coordinator

In Memoriam - Raymond Handley

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:00:00 GMT

The International Netsuke Society sends its condolences to Marsha Vargas Handley on the passing of her husband, Raymond Handley, on Sunday June 15, 2009.

The following obituary appeared in a recent San Francisco Chronicle newspaper, and other area newspapers, and can be viewed online at: http://www.legacy.com/SFGate/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=128570966 or http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/mercurynews/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=128578033&iadid=search-www.legacy.com-www.mercurynews.com

Raymond G. Handley Photo Raymond G. Handley Silicon Valley Pioneer Raymond G. Handley of Los Altos Hills, CA died peacefully at home with his loving family at his side on June 14, 2009. Born in Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana on June 2, 1923, raised in Georgetown, British Guiana until he came to the United States at sixteen to attend school at the University of Maryland. In 1947, Ray Handley moved to California. He became partners with Ray Renault, an established San Francisco real estate broker, and in 1952 they founded Renault & Handley Industrial and Commercial Real Estate in the Silicon Valley. Renault & Handley developed the first buildings for such high-tech pioneers as Intel, Fairchild, National Semiconductor and Raytheon. After the death of Ray Renault in 1965, Renault & Handley became a sole proprietorship and successfully continues today as the oldest industrial real estate brokerage in the Santa Clara Valley. Always ahead of his time, Ray Handley developed the first solar powered building in Silicon Valley in the mid 1970's. After his brother, William Jules Handley, became the US Ambassador to Mali, Africa in 1962, Raymond became interested in the country and wanted to make a difference in the lives of its people, drilling more than 50 water wells for Dogon villages through 300 feet of granite during the 1980's. A vibrant, adventurous and highly successful developer of Silicon Valley, Raymond became a keen collector of art and traveled extensively. His journeys took him from the highest mountains of Tibet to the most remote parts of Papua New Guinea and Africa. In the mid 1970's his passion lead him to establish Folk Art International/Xanadu Tribal Arts, an ethnographic art business, which allowed him to travel the world purchasing art and antiques for his galleries and established a non-profit educational foundation which currently supplies over 50,000 Northern California school children with ethnic study programs and materials. His love for real estate and art led him to purchase the only Frank Lloyd Wright building in San Francisco, the prototype for the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, for his art business in the late 1990's. Xanadu Gallery now specializes in fine quality antiquities from Asia and the Himalayas as well as some ethnographic works of art. He has been a generous donor to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. In 1957 Raymond built and opened Dinah's Garden Hotel in Palo Alto, CA adding a Trader Vic's Restaurant in 2001. He is also the owner of Handley Cellars, an award winning winery, in Mendocino County near Philo, CA with his winemaker daughter, Milla Handley. Raymond Handley is survived by his wife, Marsha Vargas Handley; his daughters Julia Handley (Honolulu/Menlo Park) and Milla Handley (Philo, CA); granddaughters Megan Handley Warren and Milla Louisa McClellen; predeceased by his wife of over 50 years, Milla Louise Hart Handley; and his brother, William Jules Handley. Services on Friday, June 19th, 2009, 1:00 pm at Spangler Mortuaries, Los Altos, CA. 650-948-6619.

Board of Directors and General Meeting

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Hi to all our members and collectors,

Any questions, suggestions, or complaints about the INS will be addressed by the Board of Directors and at the General Meeting of the INS. If we can get these early, it may save us all time as they can be consolidated and discussed at the Board meeting before the General Meeting. Even better, I will be happy to accept these in advance, addressed to my e-mail at netsukenut@aol.com .

It certainly appears that this will be one of the most successful and well-attended meetings we have ever had. I urge you all to come for a great time and a chance to see and buy great netsuke, along with educational lectures, and lots of social events, New York style.

Please donate a piece to our second INS auction for the benefit of the Society, and then buy another one. If we succeed with the auction, we will be financially stable!

I am looking forward to seeing you all in just one month!

Best Wishes, Joe Kurstin, President

Norman L. Sandfield, Constant Contact Coordinator

Ryushi Komada receives Bronze Hakutaku Award

Mon, 25 May 2009 16:00:00 GMT

We are exceedingly pleased to announce that, on the evening of July 5, 2009 at the Palace Hotel in New York, the Bronze Hakutaku Award will be conferred upon Ryushi Komada, an International Netsuke Living Treasure.

The presentation of the Award will be made by the honorable Shinichi Nishimiya, Japan's newly appointed Ambassador to the United Nations and Consul General.

Please join us for the 17th International Netsuke Society Convention, the Hakutaku Convention. This presentation and reception, sponsored by Kokoro Japanese Art Advisors, will be open only to registered Convention attendees.

For those of you who have not already registered, please do so promptly. The Society needs an accurate count of attendees as soon as possible to provide the finest services for the Convention. We look forward to seeing you on July 2.

Michael J. Strone, Convention Chair

Norman L. Sandfield, Constant Contact Coordinator

New York Chapter Meeting

Thu, 14 May 2009 16:00:00 GMT

In case you will be in New York City this weekend, but are not on their email mailing list!

Please join the NEW YORK chapter of the INTERNATIONAL NETSUKE SOCIETY at its next meeting:

Sunday, May 17, 2009 2:00 pm
Wu Liang Ye Restaurant
215 East 86th Street (between 2nd & 3rd Aves., next to PC Richards)

We are looking forward to a talk entitled "Captured At Work", which will be presented by Denise Cohen. Throughout the political stability of the Edo Period (1615 - 1868), Japan experienced an economic prosperity that reveals the emergence of an affluent mercantile and artisanal culture. Netsuke carvers found in the latter strata of society an abundance of subjects to illustrate daily activities and occupations. In tandem, the Print artists of the 18th to 19th centuries reflected the customs, fashion, and trades of their society. A brief analogy will bring together the print artists and netsuke carvers who, inspired by the Hokusai Manga drawings and other ukiyo-e subjects, have captured for us the essence of common people at their professions.

Please join us for an informative and fun talk, and please feel free to bring any netsuke of people at their professions to show the group.

Please also bring cash for your food/drink.
We expect to be in the back of the restaurant.
RSVP to: Diane Drinnon, 212-828-7088 or ddrinnon@mac.com.

Best Regards,
Diane Drinnon
Norman L. Sandfield, Constant Contact Coordinator

Convention reminder

Wed, 06 May 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Greetings to all collectors and members of the International Netsuke Society,
Two and a half years have sped by since the INS convention in Miami. We are just two months away from the next great convention in New York . . . and I do mean great! Michael Strone has pulled out all stops and will be presenting us all with a very special time. From great events to great lecturers with really interesting topics, you will find your days filled to the brim and overflowing. There will not be enough time to partake of all, but there will always be time to see old friends, make new friends, and have lots of discussions about netsuke and inro art. The current schedule can be found at www.netsuke.org/Convention2009/Schedule.htm

The most important dealers in the world will be there with some of the greatest netsuke, inro, ojime, etc. in the world. A chance to see, compare, and increase your fine collections. And don't forget that we will have a wonderful INS auction, a chance to buy very good things for great prices and support the INS.

We already have an excellent turnout but we need all of you to decide to come and make the convention even better! Yes, financial times are hard, but netsuke do not know that as prices remain on the rise. Don't miss a fabulous time in the BIG APPLE!

Remember, this is your society and we need you all to support it by coming to the convention and buying at the auction.

Joseph Kurstin, President
Norman L. Sandfield, Constant Contact Coordinator

Printing error in INS Journal

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:00:00 GMT

It appears there may have been a defective printing problem with a few copies of the last INS Journal - Volume 20, No. 1, Spring, 2009. Please take a look at your Journal and if you received a Journal with defective printing (check the page numbers for completeness and sequence), please contact us at netsukesociety@gmail.com and we will be glad to send you a replacement.
Karen & Eric Knudson
Membership Department

If you know INS members who are not yet on our email list because we do not have their current email address, they can go to www.netsuke.org and click below *New Email Newsletters to sign up. For other issues and questions about our new email contact system, please contact:

Norman L. Sandfield
Constant Contact Coordinator

Convention update

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:00:00 GMT

The Convention is proceeding apace. We are getting closer and closer to the event and the response thus far has been very exciting. Despite the obvious economic challenges, many of you are planning to join us for what we know will be a great educational and entertaining time, as well as perhaps the opportunity to find that special piece to augment your collection.

Remember that the deadline for registration discounts has been extended to April 15. We encourage you to take timely advantage of the discount and ask that, for the Society's benefit as well as yours, you make hotel reservations at the New York Palace Hotel. If you have misplaced the registration form, simply go to our website at www.netsuke.org and print the form available under the “Convention” tab.

Please also call the New York Palace Hotel at (212) 888-7000 and make your reservations. We hope that you will stay at the Palace Hotel, Each night you spend there reduces our potential guaranty to the Hotel. If another hotel promises rates a few dollars lower (although it is unlikely that you will find a similar quality hotel in the area at this amazing price of $300 per night), please persuade yourself that the taxicabs you will take back and forth from the Convention hotel will amount to as much as the difference in the room rates.

Lastly, we are asking that you consider permitting us to exhibit at the Convention, netsuke by our honoree, Ryushi Komada. You may do so anonymously as well as acknowledged. Please contact me at hakutaku@aol.com to make arrangements. We will have quite a few but would like many more, whether or not you plan to attend. We have also decided to see if we can put together in one place, as many of the very rare hakutakus in the world and we ask that you consider permitting these to be exhibited too.

Thank you. We are really looking forward to seeing you in July.

All the best. Michael J. Strone, Convention Chair
Norman L. Sandfield, Constant Contact Coordinator

INS Convention information

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Welcome to email #2 from the International Netsuke Society.

This is just a quick reminder that our International Netsuke Society Convention is coming up soon.

The Hakutaku Convention will be in New York City, July 2-6, 2009, at the Palace Hotel.

For more details, please see the brochure at:

http://www.netsuke.org/Convention2009/brochurefront.jpg

http://www.netsuke.org/Convention2009/brochureback.jpg

The Preliminary Convention Schedule of Events and links to other Convention information can be found at: http://www.netsuke.org/Convention2009/Schedule.htm

Please register soon! Come enjoy this World Class Event at a World Class Hotel, with the some of the world's best netsuke presenters, lectures, workshops, great food and great friends!

Please remember, INS MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED ($125.).

Click here for our membership form: http://www.netsuke.org/Join.htm

Joe Kurstin, President

Michael Strone, Convention Chairman

Norman L. Sandfield, Constant Contact Coordinator

Welcome to Email Announcements

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Welcome to the International Netsuke Society's new email contact system run through Constant Contact.
We hope to use this to keep you informed of important news in a more timely manner than that found in our valuable quarterly journals. In particular, you will be receiving updated information on plans for the 2009 International Convention.

Currently, our Privacy Policy is simple: The INS values your privacy and security; we won't share your email address with anyone except for purposes of the INS. Your email address will not be available to other members or anyone outside of our organization. Please see http://www.constantcontact.com/privacy_guarantee.jsp for Constant Contact's Privacy Guarantee, and http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp for their Email Privacy Policy.

You can safely unsubscribe from this email list at any time, by clicking the "Unsubscribe" Link Below. Your friends can sign up by clicking HERE.
As we go through the learning curve with this service, we hope to find more useful ways to use it to keep in contact with you.
For more information on this service, please go to www.constantcontact.com.

Welcome to the INS in the 21st century!
Sincerely,
Norman L. Sandfield