Ivory netsuke, Japan, 1701-1900

Tanuki is a mischievous figure in Japanese mythology. He is a Japanese raccoon dog, commonly associated with excessive drinking and gluttony, but also a bringer of good luck. This ivory netsuke is in the form of Tanuki, carrying his grossly enlarged scrotum. Netsuke are toggle-like ornaments. They hang objects such as medicine boxes or tobacco pouches from the sash of a kimono – a traditional form…