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Maker(s):Unknown
Culture:Japanese
Title:Portuguese man and griffin
Date Made:18th or 19th century
Type:Netsuke/Inro/Ojima
Materials:Ivory; carved with pigment
Place Made:Asia; Japan
Measurements:Overall: 2 7/16 in x 7/8 in x 7/16 in; 6.2 cm x 2.2 cm x 1.1 cm
Narrative Inscription:  INSCRIPTION: back: [Japanese character, Tenmon hachi nen hagatsu nana nichi [ill.]].
Accession Number:  MH 1986.30.62
Credit Line:William Richter Collection, Gift of Margaret Ruth Richter (Class of 1939)
Museum Collection:  Mount Holyoke College Art Museum
mh_1986_30_62_v1_01.jpg

Description:
Japanese netsuke. A slender standing Portuguese man with curly hair and his native costume, along with a griffin. Cloud motifs on his coat and two holes for functional use on his back. Inscriptions on his back transtlates as: “I came to Japan in Tenbun eighth year (1539), seventh day of the eighth month.”

Label Text:
This rare rendition of the first Portuguese sailor to reach Japan displays his native costume and curly hair, along with an equally exotic creature: a griffin. Pinto was supposedly shipwrecked off the south coast of Kyushu, on a small island known as Tanega. The back of the figure bears an inscription that translates as: “I came to Japan in Tenbun eighth year (1539), seventh day of the eighth month,” although the more widely accepted date of his arrival is 1543.

(2004)

A variety of materials were used in the making of netsuke, reflecting the creativity and superb skill of the artisans. Ivory and wood were most often used due to their fine grain and smooth surface, an important consideration due to the constant handling of the small toggles by their owners. Ivory could easily be toned or painted to brighten up the figure and was sometimes used in tandem with other materials such as wood, bone, or metal. Significant attention was also given to the symbolic aspect of the material. An example is the rare and precious ivory from the tusk of the narwhal which was believed to possess mystical medicinal powers.

Certain materials were suited for particular styles of netsuke. While all netsuke shared a common function, to anchor the sagemono (‘hanging thing’) suspended from the belt, a wide range of forms, sizes and shapes existed. The earliest netsuke tended to be slender, simple, sturdy objects crafted from bamboo that resembled a modern day paper clip. By the close of the eighteenth century, new forms and materials showcased the artisan’s virtuosity and imagination. Stains and inlays added dramatic flair and allowed for increasingly meticulous detail, especially in the features of humans and animals. Forms ranged from traditional long slender types to round, dumpling shapes. While decoration and visual delight became increasingly important, function remained the primary goal with some craftsmen going so far as to create versatile netsuke that doubled as ashtrays, compasses, abacuses, or magnifying glasses.

Tags:
figures; portraits; animals

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=MH+1986.30.62

Research on objects in the collections, including provenance, is ongoing and may be incomplete. If you have additional information or would like to learn more about a particular object, please email fc-museums-web@fivecolleges.edu.

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