Woman washes her hair, ca. 1900
Ivory
Height3,2 cm
Place of originTokyo
About the workThe depiction of everyday life, such as hair care, were popular netsuke motifs. As private baths were not widespread in Japan until the 20th century, people visited public baths, which also served as neighbourhood meeting places. Netsuke are small carved sculptures that have been made since the 17th century. They were used as counterweights to attach containers to the obi, the belt of the kimono. With the opening of Japan to the West in the 1860s, the wearing of netsuke went out of fashion, but they became sought-after collector's items.
AccessionGift of Bruno Werdelmann 2004
Provenance[...]; bis 25.10.2004 Prof. Dr. Dr. hc. Bruno Werdelmann (1920 – 2010), Ratingen; 25.10.2004 erworben durch Schenkung von Bruno Werdelmann
Inventory numberP 2005-418
