Two books on netsuke:

Two books on netsuke:
"Netsuke: The Trumpf Collection" by Patrizia Jirka-Schmitz.
"Netsuke: the great miniatures in Japanese sculpture", by Guillermo Mateu.
With a profusion of illustrations.

Netsuke, Japanese miniature sculptures, originated in 17th century Japan with a practical function: they served as fasteners for small bags or cases, as traditional kimonos did not have pockets.
The name "netsuke" comes from the Japanese words "ne" (root) and "tsuke" (fasten).

The motifs of netsuke can be mythical beings and insects, mollusks and reptiles, animals that seemed exotic to the Japanese of the Edo and Meiji eras, as well as to the Dutch and other Europeans. The carver's consummate mastery of a variety of materials. Among them, boxwood, ivory, horn, horn horn, coral, tortoiseshell and lacquer distinguish these miniature works of art. Masterpieces created by famous carvers such as Yoshimura Shuzan (1700-1773) and Ohara Mitsuhiro (1810-1878) shaped the aesthetic evolution of this artistic medium.