The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-03-30
THE JAPANESE TOGGLE OF
BUTTON.
BY Mrs. Martha Lemon Schneider.

BY Mrs. Martha Lemon Schneider.
In the National Museum at Wash
ington, d. c., there are to be seen a
fine collection of Japanese netsukes.
The netsuke or toggle is affixed by a
cord to tobacco pouch or to the pipe,
and also to hold the inro (medical
chest or nest Of small COMPARTMENTS
These are suspended from the girdle
to prevent them from slipping through
the sash or waist band. Modern
artists have applied this method of
fastening to the pocket book, and
while it is now the fashion to wear
them suspended from the belt, few
know that the name applies to the
toggle or button that holds them fast,
not to the purse.
In early times these toggles had
little if any ornamentation, but
gradually, as it was one OF the few
ornaments upon Japanese dress
which admitted of it, ornamentation
was added. However elaborate the
carving and design there was in these
old 4Eetsukes no excrescences which
would catch the folds of the dress or
break off and thus ruin the design.
Those with raised surfaces are Of
modern date, and made for outside
markets.
Old historians state that the carving
of images in stone was practiced from
very remote ages, but the production
of wood and copper statue and carving
in relief, dates from the introduction
of Buddhism into Japan. The
Emperor Bitatsu first introduced
Buddhism into Japan. He sent en-
bassadors into Korea, and on their
return in 594, A. d., they brought
with them stone image of Buddha,
and this was the first of the models
brought from time to time into Japan,
and from which the japanese artists
made their copies.
These artists did not confine them
selves to carving the images OF and
animals for Buddha and Buddhist
temples, but produced also representa-
tons of the Shinto Gods and animals.
Shinto has been the religion OF the
Japanese nation from the very COM
moncement of its history. 1t enforces
no special code, embraces no philo-
sophical ideas, but consists simply of
ancestor worship.
Old Shinto carvings are now very
rare, those of animals are to be found
usually at the entrance of a temple.
The love of the beautiful possessed
by all Japanese, owes its development
either directly or indirectly also to
Buddhistic influences.
In the 18th century Hidetada issued
an edict that every house should con-
tain one or more of the images of the
sacred deities, aud Japanese my
thology is full of legends of the seven
household gods. This command
must have given considerable
impetus to the creation of these
statues, and to this we can trace the
religious nature of Japanese art.
Tobacco was introduced into Japan
some time in the 10th century, and
it has long been a universal custom.
The pipes used are very small in the
bowl and only hold sufficient tobacco
for three or four whiffs; these are
swallowed and expelled through the
nOstrils.
Just as they decorated everything
else with their deities, so they
executed their wonderful carvings
for the netsuke with scenes and
incidents in the lives of their gods
and their neurological animals.
Netsukes were made of wood or
lacquered wood, elephant or walrus
ivory, teeth of animals, vegetable
ivory, horns of the antelopes, stays
and oxen; jade, walnut and other