Netsuke Terminology / Glossary
- Bakemono
- A goblin or monster in human form seen on umbrellas, lanterns and
pumpkins. They have legs and in this way are distinguished from ghosts, which
have none.
- Bokuto
- A wooden sword worn by the civilian population, notably doctors, actors
and artists, who, unlike samurai, were prohibited from wearing real swords.
Since it was usually worn attached to the obi, it is consider to be a sagemono.
- Himotoshi
- The apertures and channel carved in netsuke and inro for the passage of a
cord.
- Inro
- A sectional case or box (usually lacquered) which is worn suspended from
the obi by a cord on which the netsuke serves as a toggle.
- Kagamibuta
- A special type of netsuke with a metal lid and a bowl. Its literal meaning
is mirror lid.
- Kiseruzutsu
- A pipecase.
- Makie
- A general category of techniques in which designs are created by
sprinkling gold and other materials on lacquer. Its literal meaning is
sprinkled picture.
- Manju
- A type of netsuke named after a popular bean paste confection in a round,
flat shape.
- Netsuke
- A small sculptural object, or toggle, usually worn to suspend objects hung
from the sash of the kimono.
- Obi
- The sash of a kimono.
- Ojime
- A moveable bead through which the cord of the netsuke and sagemono passes.
- Sagemono
- Literally a hanging object, such as an inro, purse, pouch, pipecase or
other object suspended by a netsuke.
- Sashi
- A long, thin netsuke, thrust through the sash, with the sagemono suspended
from the end that protrudes below the obi.
- Tonkotsu
- A tobacco box that acts a sagemono.
- Yatate
- A portable writing set, accommodating both a brush and the necessary
writing ink. Another item in the sagemono category, since it was usually
carried hanging from the obi.
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