1-195-075 - © CM Dixon/Heritage Images

Netsuke carved in the form of a rat, one of the 12 animals of the Japanese zodiac. A netsuke is a fastening for attaching a pouch for carrying personal items (inro) to the sash of a kimono. The inro and netsuke evolved as a solution to the problem of the traditional kimono having no pockets in which to carry items. Initially functional in design, they evolved into intricately carved decorative forms. Materials used included bone, ivory, and various types of wood. Although kimonos have been superseded by western dress in modern Japan, the art of netsuke carving lives on. From the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.