Set of Nine Japanese Netsuke Rabbits From the Showa Era

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This collection consists of nine miniature Japanese netsuke figures, crafted from Japanese boxwood. The unifying focus is on the rabbit, … Read more This collection consists of nine miniature Japanese netsuke figures, crafted from Japanese boxwood. The unifying focus is on the rabbit, a deeply symbolic animal in East Asian folklore. The configurations include individual seated and standing hares, a rabbit nestled inside a woven basket, a pair of hares in another basket, a rabbit scaling what appears to be a giant gourd, and a rabbit interacting with foliage.
Rabbits in a basket (the first and fifth pieces) is a very popular netsuke theme. It serves as a direct visual metaphor for "gathering wealth" or harvesting good luck, signifying a home or business overflowing with abundance. Going further, there’s the Moon Rabbit association. While these pieces show realistic rabbits, the popularity of the motif stems directly from the folklore of the Lunar Hare. In Japanese mythology, a rabbit lives on the moon pounding sweet rice to create mochi, or rice cakes, which represents immortality, longevity, and health.
Historically, netsuke functioned as practical garment toggles during the Edo and Meiji periods. Because traditional Japanese kimonos had no pockets, men suspended personal containers like medicine boxes or tobacco pouches from their obi sashes using a cord. The netsuke sat at the top of the sash to prevent the cord from slipping. Over time, these simple toggles evolved into a highly collected form of miniature sculpture—the largest rabbit here being two inches high.
While the netsuke form originated in the 17th century, this specific style of smooth, uniform boxwood carvings depicting detailed zodiac animals—including the rabbits seen here—gained immense popularity in the post-World War II Showa era when these were made. As such, these pieces represent the major post-war craft revival in Japan. They were produced by workshops specialized in creating detailed miniature animal carvings to meet a growing global demand from collectors.
Signature/Maker’s mark: On about half of the figures. Dimensions: The basket cluster: 1.75”h x 1.75”w x 0.75”d. The largest single rabbit: 2”h x 1”w x 1.75”d. Smaller rabbit sizes range in: (height) 0.50”- 1.25” x (width) 0.50”- 1” x (depth) 0.25” – 0.50”, making them perfectly sized to fit in the palm of a hand. See less