THE SIGNATURE BOOK OF NETSUKE, INRO AND OJIME ARTISTS IN PHOTOGRAPHS

Honolulu: Reed Publishers, 1976

4to, 455pp. Hardcover with silver lettering to spine, front board, and silver inlaid illustrations to front and rear board. With clear plastic dust jacket. Profusely illustrated with monochrome photographs throughout.

A netsuke is a miniature sculpture, originating in 17th century Japan. Initially a simply-carved button fastener on the cords of an inrō box, netsuke later developed into ornately sculpted objects of craftsmanship. An inro is a traditional Japanese case for holding small objects, suspended from the obi (sash) worn around the waist when wearing a kimono. An ojime is a bead used in Japanese inrō (carrying cases). It is typically under an inch in length. Each is carved into a particular shape and image, similar to the netsuke, though smaller. It is used to fasten the cord of the inrō so that it does not unstack while carried. (wikipedia.com)

Condition: Overall good. Clear plastic dust jacket has some rubbing, edgewear, and very small sections missing. Previous seller’s label on rear pastedown. Very small stains to top edge of textblock. Light stains to bottom corner of textblock and bottom corners of pages. Text and photos unaffected. Minor indentations to fore edge of textblock. Text and photographs are clean, and copy is well bound.