Dutchman with wide hat and dog

Information

Title	Dutchman with wide hat and dog
Date	c. 1850-1900

Signature

Kazuyuki 一之

Height

5,6 cm

Object number	SH2025-LP-199
iterature references	Bushell, Raymond. 1961. The netsuke handbook of Ueda Reikichi. Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle Company.　 Jirka-Schmitz, Patrizia. 2005. The World of Netsuke: The Werdelmann Collection at the museum kunst palast Düsseldorf. Stuttgart: ARNOLDSCHE Art Publishers.
Credit Line	Collection Japan Museum SieboldHuis, donated by Mrs. E.Y. de Koster and Mrs. G. Zellentin, 2025

Description

This Dutch woman is depicted out on the town, holding her dog on a leash. She is carrying a handbag and wearing a wide hat, from which a piece has broken off. Under her dress, she is wearing high-heeled shoes.

This netsuke comes from the era when Japan reopened to foreigners, beginning around 1860. Before this time, there were no foreign women in Japan. Male Dutch and Chinese traders were the only foreigners permitted to stay, exclusively on small trade posts in Nagasaki.

For further information on the representation of foreigners in carvings, see our collection story: Hollanders in Japanse snijkunst.

The carver, Kazuyuki, is also named in Bushell (1961, p. 238, cat. 359; transcribed as Isshi) and in Jirka-Schmitz (2005, p. 308, cat. 701). In both cases, however, the character 之 is carved differently from this example, possibly by a different carver with the same name.