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Poetess Ono-no-komachi in her old age, sitting on a log
Poetess Ono-no-komachi in her old age, sitting on a log

Poetess Ono-no-komachi in her old age, sitting on a log

Date18th-19th century
Label TextDuring the late Edo and early Meiji periods, it was very popular as a men's fashion to sport sagemono-tobacco pouch-suspended from a belt or obi. A small ornament called netsuke, attached to the top of the cord, served as a tool for securing the pouch string inside the belt. A great number of netsuke, made of wood, ivory, metal, and ceramic, were produced by skillful craftsmen and became quite fasionable. They provide us a view of the joyful expression of unrestricted craftsmanship at that time.
Object number33.352
Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Legends, Tales, Poetry: Visual Narrative in Japanese Art, December 22, 2012 - July 21, 2013 Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Spring and Summer in Japan, February 28, 2002 - October 13, 2002
Credit LineDuncan MacTavish Fuller Memorial Collection
Dimensions1 1/2 x 7/8 in. (3.81 x 2.22 cm) L.: 2 7/8 in.
MediumIvory