Netsuke; man (Lao-tse?) resting on flank and neck of ox; rectangualr [sic, rectangular] pedestal under both; L 3.5 cm X W 3.0 cm
Donor:
Dorothy Campbell Tompkins
Collection place:
Japan
Verbatim coll. place:
Japan
Culture or time period:
Japanese
Collector:
Dorothy Campbell Tompkins and John Barr Tompkins
Collection date:
unknown
Materials:
Ivory (material)
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Netsukes
Function:
2.2 Personal Adornments and Accoutrements
Context of use:
A toggle or device attached to the end of a cord or rope to keep it from slipping; cord thrust under the sash of a kimono to support purse pouch, box, or basket (in absence of pockets). "The ox is the animal sign for the second year of the Japanese zodiac. Being born in the year of the ox is considered very lucky....As a draft animal it embodies agricultural plenty. Small images of oxen were often worn by merchants to ensure continued prosperity...." Symmes, p. 110