The Reception of Netsuke in the West since Japonisme

This essay was developed while translating the article by Matsuo Tomoko, Senior Curator at the Chiba City Museum of Art which was originally published in 2001 (see Appendix). While Matsuo’s article focuses on the historiography of netsuke in Japan, this essay discusses the historical reception of this form of art in the West from the mid-nineteenth century to the turn of the twenty-first century. It is hoped that the essay and the translation together provide a critical perception on netsuke, which has rarely been discussed within the narrative of Japanese art history.