Hirato, Hotei white glaze

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONThis is a porcelain netsuke in the form of a Buddhist monk named Hotei.WHERE WAS IT MADE?This netsuke was made in Japan.HOW WAS IT MADE?Netsuke made from porcelain, like this one, were hand-modeled from a white clay containing kaolin, then glazed and fired in a kiln.HOW WAS IT USED?During the Edo period (1603-1868), the standard attire for a well-dressed Japanese man consisted of a kimono tied with a sash. Because kimonos had no pockets, accessory bags and carrying cases (called sagemono: hanging things) were used to hold personal items such as money, medicines, tobacco and seals (a stamp carved with the owner’s name). Silken cords, attached to the sagemono, were threaded through the kimono sash (obi). A toggle, called a netsuke, was attached to the other end of the cord to prevent it from slipping through the sash. To see a netsuke with an inro—one popular type of sagemono that consisted of small, stacked compartments for holding medicines—search for object number 98.087.006 in the keyword search box.The term netsuke comes from the words “ne”, meaning ‘root’ and “tsuke”, meaning ‘to fasten.’ Early netsuke may have been made from found objects such as pieces of roots, nuts, coral and bone. Over time, netsuke production became more and more varied, refined, and innovative, reaching a high point in the early 19th century. Subjects and decoration of netsuke and sagemono reflected the tastes and aspirations of their owners, often infused with an element of comic irony. As clothing traditions modernized, netsuke came to be collected separately from sagemono, and appreciated as sculptural gems in their own right.WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE THIS?Notice the happy, rotund countenance of this figure. He represents Hotei (or Pu-tai in China), a Buddhist priest said to have lived in China in the 9th century. He became known for his detachment from material possessions, and was therefore popular with Zen Buddhists. In Japan, he is also one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, and is associated with bringing the good fortune of abundance and contentment. He is often shown carrying a sack, which you can see in this example.