Netsuke

I'm posting this purely for everyone's entertainment. I've not seen many of these but I believe the carvings inside are all individual. We picked this for a quid in a reduced box

Anyone got one with equally strange 'positions'? I'd love to see them

 

not a Netsuke.......
if Japanese....their erotica is famous !

yours...
https://www.kimscuriosityshop.com/fish-netsuke-with-shunga-erotic-scenes-5436-p.asp

 

That's the website I was sent to a while ago to find out its a netsuke. I thought a netsuke was a Japanese fertility charm, I.e this? Now I'm confused

 

It is an ojime bead " cord fastener" for a Japanese inro.

 

I don't think it's an ojime either, because the cords pass through an ojime.

 

just a sexy resin item..

 

Netsuke were carved in a variety of forms and subject matters, not primarily erotica/fertility/shunga. As @moreotherstuff indicated, they functioned as toggles to secure small containers to the sash on traditional Japanese costume.

Many of the "netsuke" available today are decorative carvings made in the style of netsuke, rather than original functional pieces. Many are made in China, where such toggles were not part of their traditional costume. Artificial materials such as "resin" (basically forms of plastic) are also being used, in place of traditional natural materials such as ivory, bone, antler and wood.

 

Surprised to see this posting - Antique Trader magazine had one shown and I had just looked them up to understand what they were. Found this site to be very informative : https://www.netsuke.org/page-1125375

 

The seller says:
"It dates from around 2000.

It appears to be designed as a netsuke."

So it is identified as recent, which is correct.
The seller doesn't identify it as a netsuke. The seller says "it appears to be designed as a netsuke", which means the seller doesn't know.

That's about all it's worth.

It isn't, and your modern resin item is probably Chinese. The Chinese have been churning out erotica by the shiploads during the last 20 years, because there is a huge market for them.
If they can't sell small items like this fast enough they are sent as freebies along with other items.

The item bears no resemblance to an antique Japanese netsuke, which is both utilitarian and a work of art.