Netsuke

This exhibition of 31 pieces is based on a wonderful donation of 280 netsuke (belt toggles) from Mrs E.Y. de Koster and Mrs G. Zellentin. The collection includes beautifully carved figures, showing everything from plants and animals to Buddhist and Taoist gods, craftsmen, Dutch people, and characters from Japanese and Chinese stories. This generous gift now makes up the largest part of the netsuke collection at SieboldHuis.

A netsuke is a small, hand-carved toggle used with traditional Japanese clothing. Kimonos didn’t have pockets, so people used cords (himo) to carry small items. These cords were passed behind the belt (obi) and held in place with a netsuke to stop them from slipping. Wealthy townspeople especially liked to have detailed and elegant netsuke. Over time, they became not just practical tools, but also stylish items that showed the owner's status.