Netsuke are small carved ornaments, often of ivory or wood, worn as part of Japanese traditional dress as a button-like toggle by which an article may be attached to the sash of a kimono. Over time, these accessories became especially ornate, and their production was most widespread during Japan’s Edo period. In Japan and elsewhere, enthusiastic collectors have prized these small ornate objects from the 18th century on. This book exclusively features netsuke designed in the form of various animals, from insects and mammals to mythological beasts, endearingly imagined and rendered into an art form. Discover a menagerie of fox priests, dancing cats, sea creatures, and more.