Bone & Wood Inro - Our inro are sold as complete sets with matching ojime and netsuke ready to wear or display. Choose from traditional lacquer, carved wood, and carved bone. Hardwood Netsuke - Select from over a hundred different designs ranging from animals and creatures to characters from ancient myths and legends. Each piece is individually hand carved and finished, complete with netsuke holes for attaching to an inro. Mammoth Ivory Netsuke - Our Mammoth Ivory comes exclusively from Hong Kong. Being under British rule for 99 years Hong Kong has the strictest regulations of any Asian nation. The Mammoth ivory used in our carvings is imported into Hong Kong from Russia where it is currently being excavated. CITES certificates were issued both in Russia as raw material and then in Hong Kong as the finished carved product which certifies that it is Mammoth ivory. Netsuke Jewelry - If you are a lover of the art of Netsuke carving, now you can show the world why you are so found of these little gems. Each piece is a one of a kind creation made from the finest gemstone beads. Ojime Beads - These amazing little carvings of barely an inch are a wonderful collectible or the centerpiece for a unique piece of jewelry. Tagua Nut Netsuke - As an alternative to ivory, Tagua nut is used around the world to carve intricate little masterpieces. Many of our pieces are accented with classic ink scrimshaw. Teakwood Netsuke - Nice dark grains accent these fine carvings. We also have a selection of Mammoth Ivory and Teakwood netsuke in this section.

Netsuke is actually two words..."ne" and "tsuke", which when translated to English means "root for fastening". In fact, originally it may have been a root that the first Netsuke was made from. Necessity is the mother of invention...and the Netsuke is no exception. Every one needs a way to carry personal items with them. Whether money, keys, chops, or tobacco; we need them with us. The Kimono, having no pockets, presented the problem. Items had to be carried in pouches or small purses. At first they were simply tied to the Obi. (sash) This freed one's hands, but in order to open the pouch it had to be untied from the Obi, then retied again. At some point someone discovered that if you tied a piece of a stick or root to the end of the string holding the pouch, it could be slipped under the obi and held in place. To remove the pouch you simply slide the stick or root back under the obi. As with most other personal items, these sticks and roots began to evolve into more and more decorative items. Eventually it developed into an art form which has outlasted the function for which it was intended. Today the Kimono has been replaced with western clothes and items are carried in pocket, but the art of Netsuke carving lives on.