| Since the traditional Japanese clothing of the Kimono | | | | did not condone most any types of expressively open |
| did not have the convenience of pockets, there were | | | | freedoms. With such a culturally rigid world order of |
| the creative means of various sized woven or clothe | | | | very little to no freedoms, these forms of so many |
| boxes and pouches. These different types of carrying | | | | different kinds of netsuke were seemingly exempt |
| devices were traditionally worn around the waste for | | | | from most of the expressive omens during the |
| being able to carry a few of the small personal | | | | Emperor's rule. |
| belongs that would be desired to conveniently have | | | | As the popularity of netsuke quickly grew, so did the |
| with them throughout the day. | | | | different formations and styles of netsuke pieces |
| Along with important items like money seals or | | | | themselves. There are nine different forms of netsuke |
| medicines, there were often also things like tobacco | | | | known as "Katabori or sculpture netsuke", "Anabori or |
| and tobacco pipes or any other desired types of | | | | hollowed netsuke", "Sashi or stab netsuke", "Obi-hasami |
| personal needs. Upon these carrying devices, there | | | | sashi or elongated netsuke", "Men or mask netsuke", |
| would be the need for holding in the personal items by | | | | "Manju netsuke", "Ryusa netsuke", "Kagamibuta or |
| a string and a small toggle. Traditionally, these toggle | | | | mirror lid netsuke", and Karakuri or mechanism |
| forms of latches were made of cords with sliding | | | | netsuke". |
| types of beads to keep from loosing the personal | | | | The most original types of Netsuke miniature |
| belongings. These fastening forms of beads were | | | | sculptures were made of hard kinds of wood or |
| eventually toggles hand-crafted into many different | | | | different kinds of ivories. Although elephant ivory has |
| types of artistic expression. | | | | long been band, mammoth ivory netsuke is most often |
| These individually artistically handcrafted pieces are | | | | the kind of ivory used in the making of today's netsuke |
| what are known as netsuke. Even though netsuke | | | | pieces. There are also many other kinds of material |
| was originally known as purely useful and needed, they | | | | types too that today and yesterday's netsuke may be |
| soon became one of the most freely expressive | | | | made from, including clay, porcelain, agate and even |
| forms of art during a time period of a rigid Empire that | | | | bamboo. |