Editing Netsuke (section)

== Subjects ==
Like many other art forms, {{transliteration|ja|netsuke}} reflect the nature of the society that produced them. This effect is particularly pronounced in {{transliteration|ja|netsuke}}, owing to long periods of isolation imposed both by geography and internal politics and limited avenues of self-expression for Japanese citizens due to custom and law.<ref>Okada, Barbra "Japanese Netsuke and Ojime From the Herman and Paul Jaehne Collection of the Newark Museum", pages 3-4</ref><ref>Bushell, Raymond "The Netsuke Handbook of Ueda Reikichi", pages 25-26, Charles E. Tuttle, 1961</ref><ref>Sadao, Tsuneko S. and Wada, Stephanie "Discovering the Arts of Japan, A Historical Overview", page 202 and page 234, Kodansha International, 2003</ref> As a result, {{transliteration|ja|netsuke}} display every aspect of Japanese culture, including its rich folklore and religion, crafts, trades, and professions, all types of people and creatures, both real and imagined, and every kind of object. As in other aspects of Japanese culture, the subjects portrayed by {{transliteration|ja|netsuke}} trend, over the long term, away from an initial emphasis on motifs of Chinese derivation toward a focus on objects of more strictly national interest.<ref>F.M. Jonas, "Netsuke" page 44, J.L. Thompson & Co., 1928</ref>
* People – famous and anonymous, current, historical, real and fictitious, children, warriors, priests, etc.
* Craft, trades, professions – often depicting actions (fishermen catching fish, woodcutters cutting wood), or examples (i.e., a stylized apple for an orchardist or apple merchant)<ref>F.M. Jonas, "Netsuke", J.L. Thompson & Co., 1928</ref>
* Animals – zodiac animals and others. It is worth noting that traditional {{transliteration|ja|netsuke}} style depicts octopus figures as having a tube-like siphon protruding from the "face", similar to a mouth. If one examines closely, one will find that some octopuses have nine tentacles instead of eight. These [[octopus#Etymology and pluralisation|octopuses]] will usually be found embracing beautiful women.
* Plants or plant products – small ones, such as beans or chestnuts, are often carved actual size.
* Deities and mythical creatures – often from Chinese mythology and religion, and [[Seven Lucky Gods]], are the seven gods of good fortune in Japanese mythology and folklore.
* Non-living things – the smallest category. Common examples include roof tiles, coins, and tools.
* Abstract – {{transliteration|ja|[[mon (emblem)|mon]]}} patterns and other designs.
* Sexual – {{transliteration|ja|[[shunga]] netsuke}} may depict a male and female in sexual conjugation or may contain only subtle or symbolic sexual references.

Some {{transliteration|ja|netsuke}} represent single, simple, objects, and some depict entire scenes from history, mythology, or literature.{{clear}}
<gallery perrow="7" widths="160" heights="160">
File:Buddhist Jewel of Wisdom Carved with Mountain Pavilions LACMA M.91.250.224.jpg|Jewel of Wisdom carved with mountain pavilions. Stained ivory
File:ChristNetsukeIvory17thcenturyJapan.jpg|{{transliteration|ja|[[Kirishitan]] netsuke}} depicting [[Christ]], 17th century
File:Dragons on Gong LACMA AC1998.249.165.jpg|Dragons on gong
File:Giappone, periodo edo, netsuke a forma di balla di paglia e topolini, XIX sec.JPG|Mouse on barrel
File:Ivory netsuke with sitting boy, Honolulu Academy of Arts.JPG|Ivory {{transliteration|ja|netsuke}} with sitting boy
File:Netsuke with Fukurokuju, Benten and boy, Honolulu Museum of Art.JPG|[[Fukurokuju]], [[Benten]] and boy
File:Ivory netsuke, in the form of a skeleton leaning on a corn stalk-3.jpg|alt=white netsuke in the form of a skeleton, leaning|Ivory {{transliteration|ja|netsuke}}, in the form of a skeleton, 18th to 19th century
</gallery>