Locust Netsuke

Netsuke are small carvings often made out of ivory, bone, rosewood and ebony. They were used with tobacco pouches and small boxes called inro. The netsuke would act as a toggle and keep the pouches from sliding through the obi on the kimono. During the Edo period, the craft of netsuke reached it's height. My father had a fairly large collection and the below netsuke is one of my personal favorites. It is of an elegantly carved locust in ivory.