Unknown
Melanesian Coral Diver19th century

Not on view

Small ivory-toned netsuke sculpture of a crouching nude male figure with amber patina, arms wrapped around a large brick-red coral cylinder, mouth pressed to a flat red piece

Artist or Maker: Unknown
Title: Melanesian Coral Diver
Place Made: Japan
Date Made: 19th century
Period: Edo period (1603-1868) or Meiji period (1868-1912)
Medium: Ivory with staining, sumi, coral, red pigment
Dimensions: 1 5/8 x 1 5/16 x 1 1/2 in. (4.2 x 3.3 x 3.8 cm)
Credit Line: Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection
Accession Number: M.91.250.189
Classification: Costumes
Collecting Area: Japanese Art
Curatorial Notes: Among the various foreigners portrayed in netsuke are a group generally termed “islanders.” Likely unfamiliar with the specific regions from which these people came, Japanese carvers routinely combined the attributes of various cultures. The most consistent traits of islander figures are their long hair and cloth or grass skirt, and they often hold a drum or branch of red coral, as does this tiny netsuke of a Melanesian diver. Red coral grows in tropical and subtropical waters. Along with ivory and various exotic woods, it was among the imported materials that made their way into netsuke production, and small carved pieces were often used as inlays. Its most common use, however, was as an attribute of figures from the South Pacific islands. This association is repeated in Japanese woodblock prints, which may have been the inspiration for such netsuke designs.

Islander representations are found almost exclusively in wood like ebony and sandalwood, which would have reinforced the figure’s exotic association. This particular netsuke is unusual in that it is carved from ivory. Though also imported, ivory is found more often in netsuke renderings of Dutchmen.

2024
Selected Bibliography: Bushell, Raymond. Netsuke: Japanese Scultpure in Minature from the Collection of Raymond and Frances Bushell, Part II. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1985.
Goodall, Hollis, Virginia G. Atchley, Neil K. Davey, Christine Drosse, Sebastian Izzard, Odile Madden, and Robert T. Singer. The Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection of Netsuke: A Legacy at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Chicago: Art Media Resources, Inc.; Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2003.

Unknown
Melanesian Coral Diver19th century

Not on view

Artist or Maker: Unknown
Title: Melanesian Coral Diver
Place Made: Japan
Date Made: 19th century
Period: Edo period (1603-1868) or Meiji period (1868-1912)
Medium: Ivory with staining, sumi, coral, red pigment
Dimensions: 1 5/8 x 1 5/16 x 1 1/2 in. (4.2 x 3.3 x 3.8 cm)
Credit Line: Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection
Accession Number: M.91.250.189
Classification: Costumes
Collecting Area: Japanese Art
Curatorial Notes: Among the various foreigners portrayed in netsuke are a group generally termed “islanders.” Likely unfamiliar with the specific regions from which these people came, Japanese carvers routinely combined the attributes of various cultures. The most consistent traits of islander figures are their long hair and cloth or grass skirt, and they often hold a drum or branch of red coral, as does this tiny netsuke of a Melanesian diver. Red coral grows in tropical and subtropical waters. Along with ivory and various exotic woods, it was among the imported materials that made their way into netsuke production, and small carved pieces were often used as inlays. Its most common use, however, was as an attribute of figures from the South Pacific islands. This association is repeated in Japanese woodblock prints, which may have been the inspiration for such netsuke designs.

Islander representations are found almost exclusively in wood like ebony and sandalwood, which would have reinforced the figure’s exotic association. This particular netsuke is unusual in that it is carved from ivory. Though also imported, ivory is found more often in netsuke renderings of Dutchmen.

2024
Selected Bibliography: Bushell, Raymond. Netsuke: Japanese Scultpure in Minature from the Collection of Raymond and Frances Bushell, Part II. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1985.
Goodall, Hollis, Virginia G. Atchley, Neil K. Davey, Christine Drosse, Sebastian Izzard, Odile Madden, and Robert T. Singer. The Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection of Netsuke: A Legacy at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Chicago: Art Media Resources, Inc.; Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2003.