Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Tales in the Round: Manjū Netsuke and Japanese Woodblock Prints

(from 30th Apr until 22nd Sep 2013)

Discover dramatic episodes from Japanese culture in these exquisitely carved objects and prints.

Detail of a manju netsuke depicting Minamoto Yoshitsune practising martial arts with a tengu demon,
Manjū netsuke depicting Tametomo on Onigashima Island waiting for his Taira enemiesfront

© Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

  • Manjū netsuke depicting Tametomo on Onigashima Island waiting for his Taira enemies (back)
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Manjū netsuke depicting Tametomo on Onigashima Island waiting for his Taira enemies

  • Description

    The exiled warrior Minamoto no Tametomo, whose skill with bow and arrows was legendary. The ship on the reverse is filled with Taira enemy soldiers coming to kill him. He shot one arrow at the ship, which sank and all on board perished.

  • Details

    show all
    Associated place
    Asia › Japan (place of creation)
    Date
    19th century (1801 - 1900)
    Associated people
    Minamoto no Tametomo (1139 - 1170) (subject)
    Material and technique
    ivory, probably lathe-turned, with carved decoration, and stained with pigment
    Dimensions
    1.9 cm (height)
    4.7 cm (diameter)
    Material index
    organic › animal › tooth › mammal tooth › ivory
    Technique index
    turned,
    formed › carved,
    carved,
    coloured › stained
    Object type index
    clothing › personal accessory › sagemono › netsuke
    No. of items
    2
    Credit line
    Bequeathed by Dr Monica Barnett, 2001.
    Accession no.
    EA2001.110

  • Further reading

    Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 23 April-22 September 2013, Manjū: Netsuke from the Collection of the Ashmolean Museum, Joyce Seaman, ed. (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 2013), no. 86 on p. 216, illus. pp. 216 & 217

Glossary (2)

Manjū, netsuke

  • Manjū

    The manjū is a type of netsuke or toggle which takes its name from a round, sweet, bean paste-filled bun. A greater dynamism can often be achieved on the front and back of the netsuke than with other three-dimensional carving.

  • netsuke

    The netsuke is a form of toggle that was used to secure personal items suspended on cords from the kimono sash. These items included purses, medicine cases or tobacco paraphernalia.

Past Exhibition

see (1)

Location

    • currently in research collection

Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.

 

Notice

Objects from past exhibitions may have now returned to our stores or a lender. Click into an individual object record to confirm whether or not an object is currently on display. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis, so please contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular Eastern Art object.

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