A Japanese brocaded textile purse featuring a design of a dragon, complete with a matching dragon clasp and kagamibuta netsuke. Inside, the lining is printed leather. The netsuke is probably celluloid, not real ivory. This dates the purse after 1870 when the material was invented, circa 1900 perhaps. ...click for details

The netsuke is made from a soft wood rather like cedar. It seems that the fewest number of cuts used to form the image is the art of this style of carving. Hannya is a character from the Noh theatre representing a jealous female demon. Painted details. Almost impossible to date accurately, it looks to me like the kind of thing brought back as a novelty by a returning sailor at the ...click for details